


Darwin's Finches

by callous_and_misunderstood



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Multi, Pre-Descendants 2, and jaylos? deserves to thrive, hate where the characters ended up by D2 so here is my take, letting the fic do what it wants, maybe some benlos, politics are invovled now, time to make real changes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25814569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callous_and_misunderstood/pseuds/callous_and_misunderstood
Summary: Carlos is having a hard time adjusting to life in Auradon.
Relationships: Jay/Carlos de Vil, jaylos - Relationship
Comments: 20
Kudos: 114





	1. A Loud Quiet

Auradon was ... quieter than Carlos had expected. He had assumed that the amount of people and the fact that this was, well, Auradon, meant that it would have been noisy, maybe not in the way the Isle was but still. That there would be _something_ to fill the space during the night. 

On the Isle it was never quiet. Quieter, maybe. His nights on the isle had been punctured by noises, ones that he relied on for his safety. Cruella's heels tapping, her ragged breathing, and hopefully her eventual snoring. When she was out of the house the silence was quickly filled in by the rest of the Isle, whose residents kept strange hours out of habit. The pirates’ rowdy brawls would travel up from the docks or shattering glass from a nearby theft would lap against Carlos' fitful sleep in waves, reminding him danger was never quite as far away as he wanted it to be. Actual quiet on the Isle meant certain doom... the silence before all hell broke loose on someone who didn't heed the warning noises.

As he lay in his dorm bed in Auradon, Carlos could make out almost... nothing. Maybe a cricket would chirp from out the window or a fellow student would shuffle down the hall, their footsteps muffled by the lush carpeting. Everything was intended to be silent here. Even the pipes and heating were quiet, barley a slight hum when in use. Of course, this was how it was supposed to be. Quiet was expected and people in Auradon said they found it peaceful. There was no need to be alert, attentive. Carlos should be able to relax, sleep through the night.

He couldn't. Not even the first night they had arrived in Auradon, when he was so exhausted from trying to take everything in and plan escape routes and remember names and judge who would be easy to take in a fight versus who to avoid and where he could stash food and and and and... He stayed up till nearly dawn, entire body tensed against the soft mattress, listening, his ears straining to make out anything in the muffled quiet. There was nothing.

Carlos rolled over, once again awake late into the night. The sounds of his movement made him pause, glancing through the dark room to Jay's bed. Jay’s breathing didn't change, still deep and even. At least there was that noise. That noise meant Carlos was safe (well, safer), since Jay was still nearby which meant there was no immediate danger.

Nonetheless Carlos couldn't sleep. He didn't miss the isle's cacophony, but it was just too damn quiet here. He couldn't focus on anything other than what was running through his head. And those thoughts were things he didn’t want to be thinking.

He had his distractions, of course. Sometimes it was mechanics, his brain taking apart machines he had seen during the day. Other times, he reviewed a lesson he found particularly engaging or went over tourney plays until he fell asleep. When he was particularly stressed, he did what he had done to calm down while on the Isle: reciting the periodic table, atomic weight included. But lately, even that hadn't helped soothe his worries. His anxiety pushed back against any calm he had and abruptly Carlos was constantly being swallowed by a feeling of doom.

They hadn't given the wand to Maleficent. They hadn't followed their parents’ plan to take revenge. They had decided to give being good a shot. And Carlos knew it was just too easy. That, at some point, their luck would give. And either they would be back on the Isle with their parents or their parents would somehow be in Auradon. He couldn’t decide which was worse.

Cruella’s grating voice rang in his mind, as sharp as it had been the day he left her and the Isle behind the barrier.

_Worthless_. _Weak. A mistake._

Carlos squeezed his eyes tight, scrunching up his entire face, trying to drive his mother from his mind. His throat felt hot, and he could feel tears beginning to prickle.

Silence was what Carlos feared most distinctly about his mother's rage. The way her breathing suddenly became even and her hacking smokers cough died out. The way she pulled herself up to her full height without a single creaking bone, looming over him with a glint in her eye that Carlos knew meant she would be adding to his collection of wounds. And then she would break the silence, voice sharp and scalding, hands like claws digging against his skin, berating him until he felt smaller than the spots on her fur coat.

No, silence was not comfortable for Carlos. Not then and not now.

He sat up, glancing at the clock. 3:24. There was no point in trying to sleep any longer. He slid out of bed, years of practice keeping his movements stealthy. He knew that breaking curfew was frowned upon but he also was too nervous to stay in the room any longer. His body was beginning to twitch with all the pent up energy. He needed to move.

Though this jitteriness was brought on by a newer threat, Carlos knew how to deal with the way his body was reacting. If he couldn’t calm his thoughts, he could at least wear out his body. He pulled on a hoodie and some gym shorts that he had meticulously folded near the door for just this reason. He slipped on his shoes and snuck out the dorm door, giving Jay’s sleeping body a quick appraisal. Jay lay cocooned soundly underneath the pile of blankets, soft snores echoing through the room. Carlos knew Jay wouldn’t like to wake up to find him gone but he would be back before Jay woke in a few hours.

Getting out of the building was easier than all the adults made it seem when they had first arrived. ‘Breaking curfew’ sounded a lot more threatening than it actually was. Carlos had assumed “curfew” was some kind of body part they would break, but all it meant was going out after a certain time that Auradon prep had deemed ‘acceptable’. None of the Isle kids had liked that rule much at all. They were accustomed to going and coming when they pleased, for the most part. Carlos was used to living around Cruella’s schedule, so curfew was something he was familiar with, even if Cruella hadn’t called it that or ever set a time explicitly.

Soon Carlos was jogging slowly around the tourney field, letting his body adjust to being in motion. He recalled how running had felt on the Isle, like a second set of lungs, or rather an instinct. Now, running took a decisive thought to get him going. How much of his physical skill had been adrenaline fueled survival rather than physical performance? He gave his head a quick shake and sped up, focusing on each foot tapping against the track, his arms pumping in sync, regulating his breath.

By his fourth lap he was feeling more centered. He let himself widen his focus to include his surroundings, moving outward from counting his breaths to the campus of Auradon Prep. The tourney field was dark, just the lamps on the path to the main buildings illuminated. Carlos didn’t mind, especially since in Auradon you could actually see the stars. There were a few clouds out tonight but most of the sky was clear, the moon in a waning crescent. He took a deep breath in. The night air was damp with dew and he relished not having to climb to the roof tops for a breath of fresh air.

As he circled towards the bleachers, he slowed. Someone was sitting on the top step, hunched low.

_Shit. How long had they been there?_ Carlos approached carefully. Hopefully it was a fellow student that wouldn’t snitch on him for breaking the rules.

Carlos peered through the darkness. The person shifted; they had been watching him.

“Thought that was you, Pup.”

Carlos breathed a sigh of relief. It was Mal.

“Hey, M. Want company?”

Carlos always asked before joining anyone sitting alone, especially his fellow Isle kids. He often wanted the solitude himself. Auradon people were not as considerate, rarely giving each other any privacy or space at all. It was like they actually wanted attention all the time.

“Sure.”

Mal’s voice was incredibly soft but he heard it clear as crystal. Carlos bounded up the metal stairs and quietly settled next to the purple-haired girl. He wasn’t surprised to see Mal out here at all. She was as fidgety at night as he was, though for different reasons. Or so she said. Mal insisted she did her best thinking in the dark, but Carlos figured that her thinking was just as anxiety inducing as his was.

They sat in comfortable quiet for a moment, a quiet Carlos appreciated much more than the stifled silence in his room. Quiet with Mal was nice, like old times. The two of them had spent hours and hours just sitting near each other in their hideout on the Isle, not a single word spoken. At first Carlos had been nervous this meant Mal hated him, since she hadn’t necessarily picked him to join her team. He and Evie had kind of been a package deal. But Carlos quickly picked up that Mal was only this kind of quiet, the comfortable and thoughtful quiet, with people she trusted. 

_There were so many different types of quiet_ , Carlos reflected, leaning back to look at the stars. His mother’s quiet, Mal’s quiet, his own quiet. So what kind of quiet was preventing him from sleeping here?

“Couldn’t sleep, huh?”

Mal spoke gently, also leaning back to star gaze.

“Yeah,” Carlos murmured.

“Have you slept at all since we got here, C?”

Carlos flushed at the concern in her voice.

“Yeah, here and there,” he responded quickly, trying to cover any weaknesses that could be exploited.

“Jay says you’re not,” Mal countered.

_That snitch!_ Carlos glared in Jay’s general direction, softening slightly when he remembered that he wasn’t in trouble with his friends. They just cared.

Carlos shrugged, though he wasn’t sure if Mal could see it in the dark.

“Still adjusting,” he provided.

Mal gave a sharp laugh.

“Tell me about it, ugh.”

She ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. Carlos turned towards her, his head cocked. He had assumed that Mal was completely settled in, the way Jay and Evie were, especially after the whole botched-evil-plan thing. Mal seemed so confident in her new role as a Pretty Pink Princess. It was a title Jay had used to tease her, but more and more seemed to suit Mal. She could chatter away with adults and students alike, and never seemed to stop wanting to be good. She went to school and participated in clubs, she had made new friends. She had even briefly dated Prince Ben—without any love spells—though that hadn’t lasted too long. The Prince truly just couldn’t keep up with her, no fault of his own. _Mal was Mal_ , meaning she was always ten steps ahead of everyone else. Which is partly why Carlos figured he was the only one of the four struggling to actually feel at ease in Auradon.

He waited for Mal to keep talking. Better to let her steer the conversation. Carlos sensed she had been sitting on this for a while.

“I just…”, she began again after a pause. “Everyone expects so much here. It’s not just the being good, though that hasn’t gotten any easier. I’m just always being looked at as some kind of….”

“Experiment,” Carlos provided curtly. That’s pretty much how he felt all the time.

“Yeah,” Mal sighed. “They want us to have manners and be kind and know history and all this stuff that absolutely everyone else learned at birth. And they want me to not react to things the way I have my whole life, like I’m supposed to get over this… this trauma! That we grew up with for 16 years! And just get over it in a couple of months! I didn’t even know that I had trauma, or what that was, until we got here!

And then this whole goodness thing still sucks…everyone is just waiting for me to fuck up, to prove that they’re right, that at the end of the day I’m still just a villain, still just Maleficent’s daughter. I don’t feel like me anymore.”

Mal groaned, burying her face in her hands. Carlos nodded in agreement, giving her arm a quick touch to know he was with her.

“I thought by now things would be… easier, at least. Not being able to sleep is just the start. Every single day there’s something new, something that I didn’t know was acceptable or unacceptable or even existed. And everyone really thinks we can just bounce into these new personalities like we never even lived on the Isle.”

Carlos felt bitterness settling into his chest. It was sharp and grating, not unlike anger. But this made him feel more powerless than anger did. He hated it.

“We knew who we were there,” Mal responded to Carlos’s statement.

She was right. Who was ‘Auradon’ Carlos, and how was he different than ‘Isle’ Carlos? Did they have to be completely different or could they be one person? Carlos was feeling that Auradon expected him and the rest of the VK’s to just lock their Isle selves away forever. But then, as Mal said, he wouldn’t know who he was anymore. He wouldn’t be himself.

“At least the Isle was predictable, familiar,” he muttered. “I’m… overwhelmed here.”

He winced as the confession fell from his mouth. Admitting weakness, even to Mal, who had been watching his back for years, was still something foreign. He sensed it was with Mal too, as she stiffened at his words. Then immediately, she softened, and reached over to pull Carlos closer to her.

They sat on the bleachers, holding each other in a lopsided hug for a long time.

“I’ve got your back, C,” Mal said firmly. “We will figure this out.”

“Together,” Carlos promised back.

Mal pulled away and looked him in the eye. They held contact for a long time, drinking in the chance to show vulnerability and not be hurt for it. Carlos looked away first, but Mal broke their conversation’s lull.

“Not a word of this to Jay or Evie.”

“Agreed.”

Those two were living happily in their Auradon bubble. There was no way Carlos was going to do anything to take away the fact that they both smiled instead of scowled now.

Mal stood and Carlos followed suit. It was getting close to sunrise, and before long Auradon Prep campus would begin to waken.

The two of them slipped into their dorm with ease, alerting no one. They said a quick goodbye before heading to their respective sides of the hall, Mal to her room with Evie and Carlos back to Jay.

Jay was still sound asleep as Carlos settled back into bed. It was still early enough where if he wanted to he could grab an hour or two of sleep. After his run, and his heart to heart with Mal, Carlos actually drifted into a light sleep.


	2. Awake

Carlos awoke to Jay’s alarm. He started, surprised. Usually he was up long before the harsh shrieking noise that was currently filling the boys’ dorm room. Carlos groaned, burying himself further into his blankets, trying to keep a grasp on the tendrils of sleep. Jay’s alarm kept howling.

Carlos sat up and chucked his pillow towards Jay’s sleeping body. The other boy was sprawled out, limbs tangled in the sheets and long brown hair dangling off the side of the bed. Jay was snoring softly until Carlos’s pillow thwacked into the bed frame.

Jay lifted his head immediately, groggily looking around.

“…’Los?”

“Dude! Turn off your alarm!” Carlos hissed. The alarm was starting to irritate his ears. Not his ideal way to start the morning.

“Oh! Right!”

Jay fumbled for a minute and the alarm stopped. Carlos breathed a sigh of relief and flopped back down onto his bed, watching Jay out of the corner of his eye. He was sitting up now, gazing thoughtfully at Carlos. Carlos quickly glanced away.

“Were you…sleeping?”

“Well, yeah. That’s what you’re supposed to do at night, right?”

Jay huffed.

“Don’t get smart with me, Pup. You just haven’t been sleeping lately.”

Carlos bit his tongue, reminding himself once again that Jay was checking in because he cared, not because he was going to punish Carlos.

He eventually gave a small shrug in response, just so Jay would let the topic move on. Thankfully he did.

“Well, cool! What are you doing today dude?” Jay asked, hopping out of bed to do some stretches. Part of his new tourney routine, Carlos knew.

“Just classes, what about you?”

“Classes, and there’s a tourney game today.”

“Right, right.”

It’s not like Carlos had forgotten about the tourney game, of course. He might have left the tourney team but that didn’t mean he could forget about it. The whole school was deeply invested in their sports, which were tourney in the warm seasons, and fencing in the colder seasons. He had quit tourney after taking a few too many bruises from his teammates and something the school counselor called ‘posttraumatic stress disorder’ had left him too jittery to attend classes. Carlos had been directly ‘advised’ (banned) from playing any contact sports.

So, there was another divide between him and Jay. Carlos was too ‘fragile’ in Auradon to play the games Jay spent most of his free time wrapped up in. 

“Will you be there?” Jay asked hurriedly. His brow was furrowed, and he plucked at his blanket. Carlos was startled out of his thoughts.

“Uh, maybe.”

It’s not like there was anything else to do on campus Friday nights. And it would be nice to sit with Mal and Evie, even cheer on the team. Jay stayed tensed, waiting for Carlos to say more.

“Yes, I’ll be there,” he clarified, noting how Jay’s expression relaxed at his response.

“Great!”

Jay started towards the bathroom, then paused.

“You’re usually all showered and stuff before I get up… did you want to go first? I know I can take a while,” Jay laughed.

Carlos rolled out of bed ungracefully. As much as he wanted to stay wrapped up in blankets, he knew if he didn’t get into the bathroom before Jay, he would definitely be late to class. Jay liked to keep his hair clean and shiny, something that hadn’t been a priority on the Isle. His showers could take upwards of thirty minutes here in Auradon though. Carlos was touched by Jay’s thoughtfulness on the matter.

“Thanks, Jay,” Carlos said as he shuffled past Jay into the tiled room.

“Yeah, yeah.”

The shower was one of the things Carlos had adjusted to, for the most part. Hot water on command, at any time and for however long, was an Auradon luxury that he enjoyed. It definitely beat out freezing cold showers at Hell Hall after Cruella used up the entire hot water tank for her daily bath.

He scrubbed quickly and hopped out, realizing class was sooner now, since he had slept. Some mornings he spent up to an hour trying to put together an outfit, but Carlos calculated he had at most fifteen minutes before he needed to head to class. Jay’s first class started later than Carlos’s, which gave Jay the time that he needed for his long morning routine.

Carlos waved as Jay disappeared into the bathroom. They wouldn’t see each other until History of Heroics later that afternoon. Carlos began pulling out clothes, trying to feel out what would make him the least uncomfortable all day. It wasn’t that the clothes were poor quality. No, Evie, with newfound access to Auradon fabrics, had made Carlos an incredible wardrobe. He had butter soft leather jackets and linen shorts and silk shirts. It was more a matter of confidence.

On the Isle it hadn’t mattered what he dressed like. His entire life on the Isle was aimed at survival, not being liked, so there was no reason to look anything but intimidating or unimportant. 

Auradon prep students treated their classes like a small-scale runway, their outfits reflecting distinct aspects of their personalities. Audrey, for example, did not own a single pair of pants. Chad never wore anything that didn’t cost an exorbitant amount of money, even if it was absolutely ugly. So Carlos also faced the new challenge of presenting himself through his clothes.

It was easy enough to stick to his red, black, and white, even though people often compared it to Cruella. It’s not like she owned the color scheme, and honestly her color palate was a lot broader than people gave her credit for. She had owned the most successful fashion company in the world for a time, after all. She wouldn’t limit herself to such a small scheme. But for Carlos, having only three colors in his wardrobe made his life easier.

For today he wore black shorts and a black button down accented with white buttons. He finished it off with a pair of red boots, suddenly missing the period of time he had been living with Evie. She always had a new accessory for him, and offered the perfect critical eye to his fashion sense. She was the one who had approved of Carlos piercing his ears, and designed him a simple black hoop for one ear and a white spiked stud for the other.

Evie and Carlos had lived together for about five months leading up to the Auradon announcement. Well, it mostly had been Carlos slinking off to Evie’s as much as he could to avoid a confrontation with Cruella. She had been in her own world more often than not around then, and logic nor pleading did anything for Carlos when she was in an episode. So Carlos would spend a few nights at Evie’s when he could slip out, just for some peace and quiet. Quiet in the sense that Cruella wasn’t there, awake at all hours, muttering then raising her voice to a crescendo at her imaginary fashion clients and eventually the dalmatian puppies that had escaped her, leading to that eerie silence that Carlos hated so much.

Evie’s home on the Isle was quiet except for the reruns of soap operas her mom played 24/7, broken up by commercials for diets and creams and tricks to be more physically appealing. Evie’s life on the Isle had been directly tied to how appealing she looked, which was always up to her mother’s fickle moods. Evie was always either too plump or too gaunt or too pale or too flushed or something. So Carlos ended up spending his time with Evie helping her perfect new make up techniques or mixing up creams that would smooth out her nonexistent wrinkles. It was soothing to let Evie apply products on his face, her brushes soft and touch gentle.

Carlos finished getting ready for class and slipped out into the hallway, Jay still in the shower. He swung by the food hall for a quick breakfast—fresh fruit! A muffin that wasn’t full of maggots! Actual coffee! —before heading towards his first class. He had advanced chemistry with Evie. Mr. Delaney had thankfully gotten over Evie’s first few stints in his class and had welcomed her into the advanced class eagerly.

Evie had also thankfully worked through the whole beauty over brains mantra that she had grown up with, and had begun fully applying herself to school. She was doing great, and had the highest grades of the four of them. Carlos was right behind her. Jay and Mal’s grades were up and down depending on how invested they were in the class. But they all maintained high enough grades to be _allowed_ to stay at Auradon Prep.

Evie caught up with Carlos as he was entering the science building. She was beaming, hair neatly plaited and lips a warm red.

“Hi C!”

Carlos grinned as he held the door open for her.

“Princess.”

Evie smiled back at him and took his arm as they walked to class.

“How are you today?”

“Pretty good.”

“Did you sleep?”

Carlos nodded and Evie smiled even wider.

“Thank evil, I was about to start making an undereye cream for you!”

Carlos blushed and ducked his head. He hadn’t really considered that his exhaustion was reflected in his appearance. That’s probably why Evie had noticed before Jay or Mal. She had immediately given him some teas and scented lotions to help him sleep, though Carlos refused tell her that they did nothing for him.

The two took their seats among the other students, pulling Evie into their casual chatter. Carlos stayed quiet, tucking himself into his seat with a slouch. He watched how Evie talked to the others with grace and ease. Even her mannerisms were more Auradon. Her hand gestures were fluid and she laughed warmly. It was like she had never lived on the Isle, never restricted her body language to keep her guard up all the time, never laughed in public. Who was Evie now? Was she still the Evie he knew, the timid girl in whom he had found refuge?

Chemistry passed quickly, along with Carlos’s other morning classes. He ate lunch alone, reviewing some notes for a test. Though everyone had lunch at the same time, no one sought him out.

He didn’t mind the solitude. He was struggling a bit with the cultural studies class he was in this term, mainly because Auradon just made no sense. Everything in Auradon was painstakingly good, which was turning out to be a façade. The whole concept of politics made Carlos gag. What’s the point of doing evil things and pretending they weren’t evil? The whole creation of the Isle, for example. King Adam really insisted it was for the good of Auradon, but then he had condemned all the people he put there to a life of misery and squalor. Wasn’t that evil? Carlos didn’t deny that the villains were, well, villains. But wouldn’t imprisonment have been more ‘ethical’? Or some kind of rehabilitation program?

Even Ben’s decision to bring over villain kids was undermined by a bunch of requirements mandated by the Court. Having good grades. Therapy. Successful trial period. Behaving. There was still the threat of being shipped back, even if no one came out and said it.

The cultural studies class Carlos had was specifically highlighting Auradon holidays, (yeah, they had a whole class on Holiday History, which was just so… _Auradon_ ). The holidays themselves bewildered Carlos, in the sense that they just seemed all so unnecessary. The celebrations they had covered so far were either political, which Carlos got to an extent (Maleficent made sure the Isle never forgot which day she cursed Princess Aurora every year (was that even politics or just ego?)), or pure extravagance. The Winter Festival, for example. Carlos didn’t see the kingdom’s appeal in celebrating the fact that it had snowed, a normal part of the seasonal cycle, for an entire four days. Yes, one of those days was the solstice, the darkest day of the year, so a gathering of people made sense in terms of safety, but a celebration? For four whole days? Every year? It just wasn’t realistic, at least not on the Isle.

Carlos sighed as he tried to filter his thoughts through a more ‘Auradon’ mindset. Auradon could afford to take days off from scavenging and survival to party. They had literal buildings dedicated to some of their celebrations, so four days truly wasn’t unreasonable by Auradon standards. He closed the text book with an aggressive _thump_ and headed to class.

The cultural studies class began with the usual review of the reading, before the teacher launched into the new subject.

_Cotillion_

Ms. Prudence, a former royal advisor to the Charming family, scrawled the word across the board in white chalk and the class immediately began buzzing. Carlos leaned forward in his seat, catching phrases of the whispered conversations.

“This year’s will be the best ever…”

“…Prince Ben…”

“Where did you get your dress….”

“New court members….”

“…selection…”

Ms. Prudence cleared her throat sharply, arms crossed. The class silenced and she launched into her monologue.

Carlos usually zoned in and out of this class, just because Ms. Prudence was easily blocked out and everything she said in class was in the textbook. Today, though, Carlos felt his curiosity peaked.

Cotillion was as political as celebrations came, though it was disguised as a mere ball. “Mere” here meant that it was the biggest event of the season for the young adults at Auradon Prep. It didn’t happen every year, either. It only happened after a new king of Auradon was crowned. Cotillion was the celebration of him taking power and was also the only time new members could be inducted into the court. The sitting King could hand select up to five court members, in essence to have people on his side during more challenging times. The remaining seventeen court members were democratically elected delegates from each of the kingdoms in Auradon. The Court served as a balance system to the King’s decisions. Unless it was a Royal Decree, the court voted on pretty much everything.

As class ended, Carlos gathered his things slowly, deep in thought. As he and Mal had discussed, Auradon was twisted. Maybe not outright evil, but nowhere as good as they claimed.

Ben had pretty much set himself up for a hostile court, or so Carlos gathered. No one came out and said anything to disagree with Ben openly, but there were still murmurs. Bringing over the Villain Kids was widely controversial, even with all the restrictions the Court had put into place. Few people were in support of the political implications of what Ben had started. But at Cotillion, Ben would be openly declaring who his allies were by who he selected as Court members.

Carlos was glad to not be Ben. Or any kind of royalty. At least no one really expected world-changing things from the villain kids, asides from their parents. The entire country expected Ben to be their King. Carlos shuddered at the thought of all that responsibility. He had a new found appreciation for the dorky King and what he had put on the line to give him, Mal, Evie, and Jay a second chance.


	3. Something Related to Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this (and my other fics) for nanowrimo, so sorry for the slow updates!

Fairy Godmother was waiting for Carlos outside of the classroom. Carlos froze, combing over everything he’d done that day. He came up with nothing that would warrant trouble, or at least he hoped.

“Hello, Carlos! How was your day?” she chirped at him.

“Uh, it was good, thanks. How was yours?”

“Oh it was just fine, thank you, my dear! Now come along, your therapy appointment is waiting!”

Carlos heaved a sigh of relief as Fairy G spun on her heel and began tapping towards the medical building. He followed. He had totally forgot that this Friday was his day for meeting with the school’s only therapist. Each villain kid got one session a month, rotating Friday afternoons. Carlos wasn’t sure Auradon Prep had a therapist on staff before their arrival, but in a way, he was sort of grateful for the sessions. Not that he was pleased about being banned from contact sports, but it was nice to have more context for what was ‘acceptable’ emotionally in Auradon.

Fairy G babbled on about one thing than another as she walked him to his session. It was a crisp, blue skied day out, though Carlos could sense a coldness building. He had arrived in Auradon in early Spring, and now it was nearing Fall. Carlos was excited to see the seasons change, since the barrier on the Isle kept out any weather that wasn’t ‘gloomy’.

Fairy G swiped her and Carlos into the front doors. Students weren’t allowed to access the medical building without a teacher or nurse to let them in, some weird fear about Auradon kids abusing the bandages, Carlos was sure. Even a minor scrape required a nurse’s assessment, which was way more attention than Carlos had ever received about even a life-threating injury on the Isle.

Though the intensive care unsettled Carlos, given that the villain kids were prone to getting into scrapes, he now knew all the nurses by name. He also knew which ones were better at treating tourney injuries (Jay) versus chemical burns (Evie tended to get a little experimental with her concoctions) versus magic injuries (Mal was really not supposed to be practicing her magic, but it’s not like Mal was going to stop). The on-duty staff shot him a smile as he was led to the therapist office, which he returned shyly.

Fairy G knocked on the office door and it swung open. Dr. Miller stood in the door frame, a shrewd brown haired man that had been conducting Auradon Prep therapy sessions since it opened. The three stood in awkward silence for a moment, Fairy G beaming enthusiastically.

Dr. Miller clapped his hands together, and turned towards Fairy G.

“Thanks for the escort, Ma’am. I think Carlos and I can take it from here!”

“Of course, of course!”

Fairy G left with a wave over her shoulder and Carlos followed Miller into his office.

When Carlos had first been told about the mandatory therapy, he had dreaded it. He pictured white padded rooms and cold metal chairs, the way Cruella described her stints in and out of hospitalization. But Dr. Miller’s office was the opposite. It was plush, almost cozy even, with squishy armchairs and paintings of landscapes hanging on the wall.

Carlos settled into an armchair across from Miller, who had pulled out a journal and pen. Carlos knew this was ‘his’ journal—it read Carlos De Vil down the spine in block letters. Miller took notes in it during each of their sessions, though Carlos was sure he wasn’t providing things that were interesting enough to write down.

Though therapy had been good for socialization explanations, he was not interested in delving into his life on the Isle with Dr. Miller. That part of his life was for Evie and Jay and Mal only. But Carlos also knew that Jay and Evie had been much more candid than him, and that even Mal had begun to open up to their therapist about the Isle. Which once again left Carlos conflicted. Would talking about his past help him figure out who he could be here in Auradon? Or would it just make him more acceptable, more like Evie and Jay?

“Carlos?”

Carlos snapped out of his thoughts. He didn’t realize he had zoned out.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“No worries, this is your time,” Dr. Miller reminded him calmly.

Carlos nodded, fighting with his hands in his lap. His time which he would rather be spending with Mal and Evie getting ready to support Jay on the tourney field.

“Tired?” Miller asked.

Carlos shrugged. He had mentioned not being able to sleep to Miller over a month ago, hoping they would give him some sleeping pills like the ones Cruella had stashed in Hell Hall.

Carlos never took any himself, and still had no idea how she had managed to get a hold of them on the Isle, but he was grateful for the nights when Cruella ground one into her glass of wine. She would then sleep for the entirety of the next day. Carlos had no such luck at Auradon Prep.

All Miller had suggested was ‘meditating’, which was just thinking about not thinking. It hadn’t helped Carlos at all. But, like Evie’s teas and lotions, he didn’t let on that it didn’t help.

“Anything exciting happen this week?”

Carlos shrugged again. He wasn’t really in the mood to talk, but Carlos had quickly learned that Miller wouldn’t let him end the session early. It was easier to give him something random to talk about, or ask about a social convention.

“We talked about Cotillion today.”

“Ah, yes, that’s this year isn’t it? What do you think about it?”

“I think it makes sense, for Auradon, at least,” Carlos said, “with it being a fancy thing and also political.”

Miller chuckled.

“Much of Auradon is,” the therapist agreed.

“I don’t like politics,” Carlos blurted, surprising himself with the honesty.

“No?” Miller raised an eyebrow, and leaned forward.

“I just think its… sneaky. Maybe not ‘evil’ but it’s not ‘good’ either.”

“Hmm.”

Carlos felt his frustration mounting. The same bitterness from the night before rose again. He took a deep breath before continuing.

“I don’t get why there’s so much lying. Why can’t things be what they actually are?”

“Ah.” Miller leaned back in his chair. “I see.”

Carlos squinted at him, folding his arms across his chest. And just what did he ‘see’ about Carlos from that statement? This is why he was hesitant to talk about non-school things. Something always related to something else with this guy.

“Carlos, you grew up in a place where everything was outright and explicitly evil. Even if there was some kind of plan or scheme going on that involved deceit, it was motivated by evil and selfishness. Of course you’re going to be unsure about how to respond to things that aren’t motivated by evil, but are still playing the same dishonest game.”

Carlos nodded slowly. That was a rather good summary of what he was feeling, actually. The game was the same, but the motivations were different, which Carlos didn’t like. He hadn’t liked the deception aspect of living on the Isle, but it was for survival. Nefarious plots didn’t work in a place where everyone was evil and also your neighbor. Here, it was exclusively for power. Another disappointment from Auradon.

Miller was still talking, now about specific political moments in Auradon’s history that had been deceitful but were motivated by good. Carlos tuned out, nodding here and there to suggest he was paying attention.

Carlos had anticipated, hoped even, that Auradon would be better than the Isle. Not just in terms of living conditions, but in ethics and respect. That the goodness everyone claimed was just seeping out of the atoms here was _real_. That good _was_ stronger than evil. That had not proved itself to be the case.

Good was just as much of a fantasy as he had grown up believing.


	4. On Your Terms

When Dr. Miller finally ended their session, Carlos bolted outside. Whatever lingering fantasy Carlos had been clinging to about life in Auradon getting easier was pretty much gone. He would feel like an outcast or a liar or a freakshow for the rest of his life. He took a deep breath of evening air, letting the crispness bring him back to the moment.

The sun was just beginning to set, painting the sky in orange and pink hues. It was beautiful, and Carlos drank in the sight greedily. Carlos had to admit he still preferred Auradon over the Isle, even if it wasn’t fairy-tale perfect. They didn’t get sunsets on the Isle because of the barrier, more of a transition from grey to darker grey.

Carlos began his trek back to the dorms, slowing his pace as the sounds of people cheering grew louder.

Oh shit, the tourney game.

Carlos had actually forgotten. He felt a twinge of guilt towards Jay and scurried to their room. He checked the time. Thankfully the game was only in the first quarter, so Carlos hadn’t missed much.

He ditched his school books and pulled out his old jersey from the bottom of the closet. Carlos stuck his tongue out at it, just to ignore the weird longing for the sport he was feeling. He pulled it on, deciding to ignore that it clashed with his pants. Evie would say something, guaranteed, but Carlos was already late.

Finding Mal and Evie in the mass of cheering students was always easy. He just had to look for bright purple and blue hair.

He spotted the two girls near the top, and bounded up the bleacher steps to join them.

“Hi, C,” Mal said from the other side of Evie, leaning forward to give him a grin.

“Yay! Carlos!”

Evie flung her arms around him and gave a quick squeeze.

“I was worried you weren’t going to come,” she pouted.

Carlos shook his head.

“Got held up with Dr. Miller.”

“Ugh, he really has no respect for the fact that I have better things to do,” Mal sympathized, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Carlos chuckled lightly, knowing full well that therapy was as mandatory for Mal as it was for him.

He turned to look at the scoreboard. Neither the Home or Away team had scored any points yet.

“Who are we playing?”

“The team from Olympus Academy, The Myths or something,” Evie supplied. “They’re all really cute.”

Mal rolled her eyes but gave a small nod in agreeance. Carlos squinted down at the field. He wasn’t sure how Evie could tell, as their faces were covered by helmets, but he believed her. Not just because she had good taste, but most of the kids who went to school in Olympus were third or fourth generation Greek half-gods, which guaranteed good looks. Their light blue and gold jerseys were a more delicate take on Auradon Prep’s yellow and royal blue color scheme, which made the field look even more lavish than normal.

Carlos singled Jay out of the pack of Auradon Prep players pretty quickly. Jay was still the tallest and broadest on the team, even if his build had shifted from Isle survival to refined Auradon athlete.

A buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the first quarter. The players on the field lined up at their starting positions. Carlos knew exactly which play the coach was running, and huffed a bit.

“What?” Evie asked him. “They haven’t started playing yet!”

“The play won’t work,” Carlos grumbled.

“Why?” Mal leaned across Evie, always interested in schematics.

“They need a long range runner as back left,” Carlos gestured towards the field where the players had scattered at the sound of a whistle. “Derek can only do short sprints at most. Aziz should be back there, or, as much as I hate to say it, Chad. The whole play is dependent on a deep run past the Kill Zone. And then, they’ve put Jay as an exclusively supporting player when we all know he’s the reason the team has gotten this far this season!”

Both girls smiled at him, Evie with fondness and Mal with more of a smirk. Carlos flushed a bit.

“Do you miss it?” Evie asked quietly.

Carlos had kept the knowledge that he had been banned from contact sports to only the four of them, as well as Dr. Miller and the coach. The rest of the school assumed he had gotten too busy with academics and Dude, which was sort of true.

“I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. I don’t miss the late practices and being sore all the time but. I kind of resent not being down there.”

“You resent having the choice made for you,” Mal gently cut in. “You and tourney weren’t going to last, but you didn’t leave on your terms.”

Carlos sighed. She was right.

“Agency,” Evie murmured. “It all comes back to that, doesn’t it?”

Mal and Carlos shared a quick glance. What did Evie, who was thriving, mean by that?

“E?” Mal prodded.

Evie looked like she was someplace very far away for a moment, until Carlos gently placed a hand on her thigh. She shook her head and forced a beaming smile at her two friends.

“Nothing, nothing,” Evie quickly brushed off her comment, smoothing her skirt.

Carlos raised an eyebrow but kept quiet. He knew Evie was gonna get interrogated by Mal back in their dorm that night, and didn’t want to jump on her too.

He turned back to the game just in time to see the Olympus team score. As he had expected, the Knights had lost the ball when Derek hadn’t made it through the Kill Zone. He really didn’t miss the actual sport of tourney. It was overwhelming and sometimes he wasn’t sure if the other students were just playing the game or actually trying to hurt him. But he did miss the moments with Jay, when they would walk back to practice and he’d drape his arm over Carlos’s shoulder until Carlos pushed the sweaty limb away. And the quiet before the game in the locker room, Jay’s dark eyes unfocused as he ran through plays in his mind.

Despite extra vigorous cheering from Evie, the Auradon Prep Knights lost the game, not even managing to score a single goal. Carlos was worried about how Jay would react. He didn’t handle losing games well, usually because he took them so personally. Thinking he might want the space, Carlos tagged along with Evie and Mal back to their room.

He sprawled on Mal’s semi-made bed, flipping through Evie’s latest sketches. Mal laid on the floor, doodling. Evie hummed from the bathroom, where she had begun her multi-step nighttime skin care routine.

“What are you doing this weekend?” Carlos asked Mal.

She snorted, not looking up from her drawing.

“Same thing we do every weekend. Stay on campus. Do homework. Try not to get bored but end up so bored that by Sunday I actually want to go to class.”

Carlos smiled at Mal’s complaining. They both knew her weekends were full of social events with various people. Though, Carlos now knew how much strain Mal was feeling about fitting in, so he understood. Classes were easy to fit into, for the most part. It was the free time that got to Carlos.

A quick rap sounded on the door and Jay swung into the room. He had showered and changed into sweatpants and a tee shirt. His hair was still damp and he was dragging his hands through it, working out the knots.

“Hey, guys,” he said as he flopped onto Evie’s bed.

“Hi Jay,” Mal said, briefly looking up from her art. “How’re you feeling?”

Jay shrugged.

“Game sucked. But whatever.”

Carlos looked at the other boy, both pleased and taken back by Jay’s quick dismissal of the game. That was not how Carlos expected him to react, but was glad Jay didn’t seem to be blaming himself for the loss.

“Yeah?” Carlos prodded.

Jay swung his arms up to stretch. His shirt lifted just enough and Carlos allowed himself a single second to look at the bare skin above Jay’s sweatpants before quickly glancing away.

“Coach used some idiotic plays. Didn’t listen to me so. Yeah, whatever.”

Ah, that was it. Jay really looked up to the Coach as a father figure, though he would never admit it. Jay was probably pretty offended by Coach’s decision, and losing the game just proved Jay right. Carlos bit his lip. Jay was still Jay, even in Auradon. Stubborn and eager to prove his worth.

Evie emerged from the bathroom, her face covered a blue foam. Carlos had no idea what that did for her skin but she looked adorable. Jay looked at her and broke into a huge grin.

“Hey Princess!”

“Hi Jay! That’s what Carlos was saying during the game!”

Jay looked at Carlos warmly.

“You were there? I didn’t see you before it started.”

Carlos felt himself turn a bit pink under Jay’s gaze.

“Yeah, I made it right at the end of the first quarter. Got held up at Dr. Miller’s.”

“Glad you came.”

Jay’s voice was soft, and the two boys held eye contact for a long moment. They tore their gazes away eventually, Carlos still flushed.

“Done!” Evie announced as she left the bathroom. Her face was makeup free, hair neatly plaited, in loose pajamas. Carlos smiled at the sight. Even though Evie had relaxed her fixation on following her mother’s beauty rules, this was the Evie only the four of them got to see. Comfortable, vulnerable Evie.

_Evie_. Carlos hadn’t needed her as much her as he had on the Isle. On the Isle she had been his rock, his sister, his right hand. Carlos wondered if Evie had noticed. She probably had. Maybe that’s why he felt so distant from her lately…they had been feeding a cycle of distance that neither of them actually wanted.

“Hey E,” Carlos patted the bed next to him.

Evie eagerly curled against him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Do you like this?” she pointed at a design Carlos was studying.

“I love it,” Carlos said earnestly. It was beautiful, a sleek suit with ombre color effects. It was exactly the kind of suit an Auradon prince would wear.

“Good. I was thinking of you,” Evie said softly, smiling.

“Really?” Carlos was surprised.

“Well, I know you’re going to need a suit sometime. Cotillion or something. Better to plan now. And look. I’m figuring out a design that will allow you to have extra pockets but still look streamlined.”

“It’s so…fancy,” Carlos said.

Evie glanced at him and quickly understood he didn’t mean the design.

“You belong here, too, pup. I know it doesn’t always feel like it. But you do. And you belong with us.”

“I love you,” Carlos murmured, slightly choked up. He looked at her, her gentle brown eyes taking in the other two who were also laying together comfortably on the floor.

“Love you too,” Evie said back. “Now tell me what you think of this design.”

She was still his Evie. And Mal was still his Mal, Jay still his Jay.

Carlos sighed softly, feeling at ease for the first time all day. This was still his _family_. Auradon or the Isle, it would always be Evie, Mal, and Jay. He let his anxieties about life in Auradon, his fears about the Isle, and everything but the warm feeling of comfort melt away for the moment. He was home.


	5. Truly Needed

Carlos woke up to a bunch of slobbery kisses and dog breath.

“Dude!” Carlos greeted the caramel colored mutt with enthusiasm. “You’re back!”

The campus dog, Dude, had been away for a few weeks resting an injured paw. Carlos had missed the little furball more than he cared to admit. Having a loyal companion follow him everywhere was soothing. And it was nice too look after something besides just himself.

“How’s your paw?”

In response Dude offered his paw to shake. Carlos grinned and gave Dude a good scratch under the chin. Looked like the dog was completely healed.

Still petting Dude, Carlos sat up, yawning. He and Jay had stayed in the girls’ room till just before sunrise. Carlos had fallen asleep right away, thankfully, and judging by the slanted light coming in the windows, he had slept till early afternoon.

Carlos got up and stretched a bit. Maybe he’d take Dude with him on a run before he started homework. It looked gorgeous outside.

Carlos glanced towards Jay’s side of the room. Jay wasn’t there, but Carlos figured he had gone to find food. Jay liked to send most of the weekend lounging around, mostly just sleeping and eating.

Deciding he would shower after his run, Carlos pulled on some workout clothes and brushed his teeth. Then he led Dude out of the building and into the bright sun.

Carlos paused a moment to let the sunshine warm his skin before making his way towards the track. As he got closer, he saw it was pretty busy. Some of the tourney guys were doing sprints and the cheerleaders were having practice. Carlos veered towards the woods instead, not interested in making small talk with anyone.

Dude trotted ahead as they entered the shaded woods area. Carlos appreciated the school’s decision to let the woods stay. Ben had mentioned that it was an annual debate topic whether to rip it out to build a new building for whoever wanted it that year. But so far the woods had stayed.

Carlos started out jogging at an easy pace, Dude loping along side him. The trail was well worn, clear of any obstructions, dappled with shadows from the tall trees. Carlos noted which ones he could recognize. Pine, oak, oak…Maybe he would take that natural world class next semester. It would be nice to know more about the environment he was living in, since things were actually alive here. Not a single green plant grew on the Isle.

“Ooh! Oof!”

Carlos had forgotten to pay attention to where he was headed and smacked straight into Ben. They both toppled onto the ground, limbs entwined. Dude climbed on top of both of them, licking every bared piece of skin he could.

“Sorry!” Carlos said just as Ben said the same. They both looked at each other and broke out laughing. Ben pulled himself off Carlos, dusting off his knees. Carlos stood as well. Ben was also in workout clothes, his hair pressed against his sweaty forehead. His skin was flushed and his grin was lopsided.

“Funnily enough, you’re just the person I wanted to talk to.”

Carlos looked at Ben with surprise. Why did the prince—no, King, but well. Still sort of prince—want to talk to him?

“Yeah? Um, okay.”

“Uh, let’s sit down.”

Ben gestured towards a large, flat stone next to the path. Carlos shrugged and sat with him. The stone was warm from the sun, making it comfortable for a rock. Dude climbed into Carlos’ lap and wagged his tail eagerly.

“So…how are you?”

“I’m good, I guess,” Carlos said. “How are you?”

“Fine, yeah. Busy,” Ben laughed. “I feel like I hardly have a moment to breathe.”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen you on campus lately.”

Ben shook his head.

“Too many things to do that are somehow more important than my classes… I dunno, I guess I miss being a regular kid.”

Carlos scoffed gently.

“You were never a regular kid, Ben.”

Ben sighed, looking weary. Carlos winced, worried he had crossed a social line. It was true, Ben had been destined to take the throne since birth. That made him not normal.

“But neither was I,” Carlos added, meaning his Isle upbringing.

Ben smiled lightly and turned towards Carlos. His eyes were a very intense hazel and he held Carlos’ gaze for a long moment.

“That’s why I want to ask you to be a member of my court, Carlos.”

Carlos felt his jaw literally drop open.

“Me? A court member?”

“Yes,” Ben launched into a speech he’d obviously practiced several times in the mirror. “I knew I needed at least one Isle Kid on my court, because, well. You guys are, hopefully, the biggest political decision of my career. And at first, I figured it would be Mal, but the whole…”

Ben waggled his hand.

“Love spell, evil plan,” Carlos filled in.

“Yeah. That kind of made it impossible for her to be entered into the court without a lot, I mean a lot, of convincing. And she’s… Mal.”

Carlos nodded. Mal wasn’t big on diplomacy. Sure, she had gotten the hang of manners and being nice, but that didn’t mean her and her family’s, safety wasn’t her first priority at all times. She had never been keen on ruling the world, despite her mother’s pushing.

“Then, Jay,” Ben continued. “He’s seemed to adapt really well to Auradon, with tourney and all. But he’s still just as hot headed as he was when he first arrived.”

Ben threw up his hands before Carlos could say anything.

“Not that I don’t admire that about him. But politics are so delicate, I don’t think it’s a good fit for Jay.”

Carlos could see his logic, though he still wasn’t sure how Ben had picked him for the role.

“What about Evie?” Carlos prompted.

“Evie is wonderful. She’s smart, she’s talented, she’s…just too good at being good, I guess. I never know what she’s really thinking. I need someone who can be honest about what they think.”

“And that’s…me?”

Ben nodded furiously.

“I know it is a lot to ask, and you don’t have to decide anything yet. But I think you would be the best to represent the needs of the Isle Kids in court. You’re level headed, you think things through, you’re honest. And you can read people really, really well.”

Ben let out a deep breath. Carlos was stunned. The King wanted him, Carlos De Vil, to be a court member. To have a say in Auradon politics, to give the Isle Kids a voice. Ben was practically handing him power and Carlos truly had no idea how to feel about it.

“Please, at least think about it.”

Carlos nodded, trying to think of something, anything to ask.

“Who else are you asking?”

“Lonnie, and Peter Darling. They’ve both said yes. And I asked Jane, but she is still talking it over with Fairy Godmother, so we’ll see.”

Carlos was impressed. Ben had picked his court members very carefully. Each one had a different set of skills, and represented a different area of Auradon. Lonnie’s mother was Mulan, so that was clearly a smart alliance to ensure peace with China. Add that to Lonnie’s own agenda to make the world actually fair to women and Ben had won over at least half the court. And Peter Darling was the son of Wendy Darling, an upstanding city woman who fought against poverty across the country. She had persuaded Auradon to vote yes on a bill that guaranteed a basic income for all Auradon citizens, thusly reducing crime and increasing community invovlement. And Jane. She was the perfect tie to the Auradon magical community, and was well versed in politics since she grew up with it.

“What about…my mother?” Carlos asked timidly.

“Not a problem,” Ben assured him with confidence. He gestured at Dude who was snoring in Carlos’s lap. “Your success with Dude and with academics has convinced most of the rest of the court that you’re not your mother. And obviously, I know that is true. You’re Carlos. Not Cruella. And I… I need Carlos to help me rule Auradon.”

Carlos kept his jaw from dropping this time. No one…had needed him before. Needed _Carlos_ , explicitly. Yes, Mal and Evie and Jay had needed…someone. And that someone had happened to be Carlos, but they hadn’t needed _Carlos_.

“I’ll… yes. I’ll think about it,” Carlos choked out.

Ben beamed like Carlos was the sun itself.

“Thank you, Carlos. Thank you.”

Ben stood, though Carlos remained sitting. He wasn’t keen on standing up just now. He felt like he might topple over at any second.

“Find me as soon as you decide.”

Ben placed a hand on Carlos’s shoulder, then with that lopsided grin, turned and headed towards Auradon Prep.


	6. To Love and Protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos makes his decision

Carlos sat a long time on the rock in the woods. He was caught completely off guard by Ben’s request. He didn’t even know where to start his decision making.

On one hand, it was never a good idea to hand a villain, even a “reformed” villain, pure political power. It had almost gotten to Mal when they had first arrived and she’d been toted around as Ben’s girlfriend, aka the second most important person in Auradon. She had very nearly gone through with their parents’ plan after she had tasted that kind of attention. But good had won out with her, barley. Carlos wasn’t sure if he was… _good_ enough to make the best choices for Auradon.

But then, who would be making good choices for the Isle? It was very unlikely the Isle would ever fully be abolished, but there were so many other kids rotting away that Carlos couldn’t turn down the chance to help them. And honestly, he felt guilty about being chosen to come over, and guilty about all the flaws he found in his second chance home. At least having some leverage in court would allow him to push for something more for Isle kids.

But. Telling the rest of them, Mal and Evie and Jay. What would they think? What would they do?

Mal was Mal. She would be furious Ben hadn’t picked her, and then immediately see how strategic he was actually being. She would be a yes vote.

Evie…was most likely to be a yes vote, because she was so keen politically. She could probably help Carlos prepare the most, actually. She was taking two different political classes this semester, along with her chemistry and economics courses.

And Jay… Jay, who he knew would stand by him under any other circumstance without any hesitation, but who Carlos couldn’t guess the reaction of. Jay, who he loved.

Carlos hadn’t really picked apart his feelings for Jay completely, but he knew it was love. And it was a different love from his love for Mal and Evie. And something very different from his mother’s “love” which had come with more pain than anything else. But he didn’t dare consider how Jay felt about him. He used to be able to guess Jay’s moods better than his own, but not since they’d come to Auradon. Now Jay was a mystery Carlos was a bit afraid to solve.

Best case, Jay voted yes. Worst case, Jay didn’t care either way. Worst case meant that Jay had drifted far enough away from Carlos that there wasn’t much he could do to get him back.

Dude gave a whine and Carlos realized they were both overdue for some food. Carlos abandoned his jog and his thinking rock, and took Dude to the kitchens.

Since Dude wasn’t supposed to eat human food, despite the number of scraps the students fed him, Carlos had to leave Dude in the kitchens while he ate. Meanwhile Carlos slid into the main dining hall and raided the buffet, intending to go back to his room to eat.

The dining hall was quiet, which was usual for a Saturday. A decent number of students went home over the weekends, or visited each other’s castles or went into the main city for outings. The Isle kids weren’t allowed off campus unless it was an organized event, so they were stuck at school the whole weekend.

Mal got invited to all sorts of social events that happened on campus, club meetings and tea with professors and the like. Evie spent most of her weekend sewing and beefing up her fashion business with research (reading fashion magazines and watching celebrity news). Jay had tourney practices and sometimes tutoring sessions. Carlos truly had…nothing. He wasn’t interested in any of the clubs and had quickly discovered how limited the school’s tech lab was. He had been able to scourge more parts on the Isle than what they offered at school. So he was reduced to wandering the campus and observing. It wasn’t the worst thing, but he did need something to do or he really would go stir crazy. Carlos sighed, realizing being in court would definitely eat up his free time. That would probably be good for him, to have something to keep him busy.

Carlos had just finished packing himself a collection of food, usure what he was actually in the mood for, when a hand landed on his shoulder. He tensed, startled, and waited for the other person to do something.

“Hey,” the voice the hand belonged to said.

Carlos immediately relaxed. It was Jay. He turned to see the taller boy gazing down at him softly.

“Hey,” Carlos said back. “What’s up?”

“Just getting some dinner,” Jay shrugged. “Is something up?”

“Huh?”

“You just seemed really distracted. You didn’t even hear me come up behind you.”

“Oh,” Carlos realized he had been more focused on Ben’s request than what was going on around him. “Yeah, no, I’m fine. Just thinking.”

“Were you gonna head back to the room?”

Carlos nodded.

“Mind if we go together?”

“Nah, that’d be good,” Carlos smiled.

The two of them finished gathering food and stopped by the kitchens to get Dude. The dog was excited to see Jay again as well, jumping up trying to lick Jay’s face.

They made it back to their dorm room with no interruptions, which only happened on the weekends. Usually trekking across campus with Jay meant being stopped by half the school looking to talk to him. Mostly it was quick flirtation banter or tourney commentary, but Carlos rolled his eyes each time they were stopped. Next to Jay, he was practically invisible.

Both boys tucked into their food right away, eating in silence. They still relished the concept of eating a whole meal of fresh food. Carlos took longer eating, trying to savor the food, but still eating quickly by Auradon standards.

Jay sighed and sprawled on his bed.

“I should do homework,” he said dejectedly.

Carlos laughed.

“You could,” he agreed.

“Or,” Jay said, turning to lay on his stomach. He propped his head on his folded arms and stared deeply at Carlos. “We could talk.”

Carlos stiffened. What did Jay want to talk about? Did he know about Ben? Did he know about…his feelings?

“About?” Carlos asked, trying to keep it casual.

“I dunno, everything. We haven’t hung out in a while. Last night was the first time I’ve seen you in ages, it feels.”

Carlos nodded in agreement.

“Well…uh. How are your classes?”

Jay grinned Carlos’s favorite way: lopsided and with a knowing look in his eyes that promised an electric zing would shoot through Carlos’s entire body.

“Not exactly what I was meaning, C.”

“Oh, uh.”

“How are you, like, really? And no bullshit, pup. It’s me.”

Carlos blinked, gathering his thoughts. So Jay wanted to talk about _feelings_. Great.

“I’m…okay. Yeah, I’m okay. Sleeping, finally.”

Jay nodded, his eyebrows pulled together in concentration. Carlos flushed. He was the only thing Jay was paying attention to, and he liked it. He decided he might as well talk about Ben’s offer, hoping that talking to Jay first would help him make a choice before talking to the girls.

“I, um. Well, there’s this. Big thing I have to talk to you about. Well, not just you. You and Mal and Evie, but…”

Jay sat up, more alert.

“Are you in danger? Did someone hurt you?”

“No, no. It’s. nothing like that, it’s actually a good thing. No danger, I promise.”

Carlos was quietly pleased that Jay’s immediate response was to protect him. That’s how it had been on the Isle, too, and Carlos was delighted to see it had carried over.

“Okay,” Jay said slowly, waiting for Carlos to finally get to the point.

Carlos took a deep breath, and watched Jay’s face closely.

“Ben asked me to be one of his court members.”

Jay’s brows furrowed further, then shot up in surprise. His eyes were glittering the way they did when he was looking at a haul, and he was chewing on his cheek, which he did when his thoughts were racing. Carlos sucked in his breath and held it, waiting for Jay’s verdict.

“C…That’s, like. Wow,” Jay said slowly. “Carlos. Yes.”

Carlos flushed deeply, thrilled.

“I mean, how do you feel?” Jay quickly followed up his initial reaction.

“I feel…a lot of pressure,” Carlos answered honestly. “It’s a big, big deal.”

“Yeah, but I mean. If anyone should be in that court, giving those Auradon stuck-ups a reason to care about the Isle for once in their lives…it’s you, Carlos.”

Carlos let out a silent sigh in relief. Jay had his back on this. No one else’s opinion really mattered now. Jay thought he should tell Ben yes, and then Jay would be there to support him through whatever the courts threw at him. 

“Did you tell Ben yes already?”

Carlos shook his head, unwilling to admit that he had been so dependent on Jay’s opinion to make his final decision.

“Let’s call Evie and Mal,” Jay said, hopping up and reaching for a phone.

“Yes,” Carlos agreed enthusiastically. He had Jay’s yes, but he still wanted to hear Mal’s and Evie’s thoughts.

Jay dialed the girls quickly, and Evie picked up before the first ring ended.

“Hiiiii,” Evie drawled.

“Hey Eves, you and Mal around?”

“Mhmm!”

“Come to me and C’s room, yeah?”

“Be right there!”

Jay hung up and beamed at Carlos so intently that Carlos felt he was being looked at by the sun.

Mal briefly pounded on the door a second later before shoving it open.

“Hey boys,” she snarked, leaning in the doorway, a hand on her hip.

“Get in here,” Jay grinned, wrapping Mal in a one armed tight hug.

Evie emerged mere seconds later, her cheeks a bright pink. She swooped in gracefully, giving Carlos a peck on the cheek before Jay snagged her with his other arm and pushed the girls’ heads together.

“Jay! My hair,” Evie protested, though she didn’t attempt to move away.

Carlos felt his heart pool with warmth, looking at his family. Finally, he had a chance to give back to them, to prove his worth to them as a person, to find his footing in Auradon alongside them.

“So, what’s up?” Mal asked, untangling herself from Jay’s grasp.

Carlos hopped up onto the table, so he was facing the three of them. Jay’s eyes were still glittering brightly as he waited for Carlos to tell the girls the news.

“I’m…” Carlos began slowly. “I’m joining Ben’s court.”

Evie immediately let out a high-pitched squeal, throwing her arms around Carlos’s neck. Mal’s draw dropped a slight bit. Her eyes flashed that vibrant green for a single moment, before fading back to her staple hazel.

“Oh, C! That’s genius!” Mal practically hissed with excitement. “You’re gonna be able to do so much!”

Evie’s eyes were sparkling as much as Jay’s.

“Carlos…it’s perfect,” she crooned. “Don’t worry about _anything_ , we’ve got you.”

Showered in his friends’ affection, Carlos’s heart beat slowed to its normal pace. It was exactly as he expected, Mal ready to dive in to this power play and Evie eager to assist.

Like the night before, he felt the warm glow of being home. But this time he felt like he was contributing to it in a new way, in a way that would protect the people he loved.


	7. Sleepover

Ben accepted Carlos’s agreement to be on his council with extreme enthusiasm. Carlos ended up being the last to confirm his spot, as Jane had given her confirmation a few hours after Carlos had been asked.

So one weekend later, Carlos was in the back of a limo with Jane and Lonnie, headed to Ben’s parent’s castle. Peter and Ben were meeting them there for a ‘sleepover’. Or rather, the first unofficial council meeting.

Carlos was nervous. He kept picking at the skin on his lips, trying to glance out the tinted windows. Jane and Lonnie were chatting about one of their classes, completely calm.

“Are you at all…nervous?” Carlos finally turned to the other two.

Lonnie shrugged nonchalantly.

“Mom would take me to meetings rather than leave me with a nanny, so I grew up around this kinda stuff.”

Jane nodded in agreement.

“My mom has such a high standing in Auradon, I can’t not be aware of politics,” she sighed. “Don’t worry too much, though, Carlos. That’s why we’re meeting with Ben, so nothing will catch you off guard.”

Carlos gave them a forced grin and turned back to the window. Ben had specifically emphasized that this gathering was informal, and that it was a time for them all to ask questions and talk about what being a council member actually meant. But Carlos still felt like the baby of the group in terms of political experience. Evil schemes he was great at. But politics involved a lot more rules, which made him nervous. Plus, he was still the only ‘villain’ voice in the entire court, not just Ben’s council. His presence in Auradon was a political move, so he would always be that. Reformed or not, he was the only person who knew what the Isle was like, which both gave him an advantage and made him a target.

The other Isle kids had spent the past few days prepping him as best they could. Evie pulled out her notes from her classes and drilled the basics into him ruthlessly. He could practically recite Auradon’s constitution in his sleep. Mal worked on Carlos’s ‘political’ presentation, snapping him back from whenever his natural slouch crept in or he tried to deflect direct confrontation. And Jay had given Carlos a calm center to hold on to, a space for comfort in the chaos.

Carlos fidgeted as the castle driveway appeared in the windshield. This was it.

Ben was standing on the front step next to Peter, a slender boy with wild strawberry-blonde hair and grey eyes. They were both dressed in jeans, to Carlos’s relief. Evie had wanted him to wear a suit, but Carlos insisted that wasn’t what Ben wanted. Thankfully, he had been right.

Jane and Lonnie clambered out of the car gracefully, and Carlos nervously slid out behind them. He hesitated before climbing up the steps with the rest of them, frantically running through everything Evie had said about Ben and his parents and minding his manners.

“Carlos,” Ben beamed and patted the white-haired boy on the shoulder. “Really glad to have you here.”

“Glad to be here,” Carlos stuttered out, giving Ben a tight grin.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Ben insisted, leading him into the castle. “Nothing serious now, okay? Just going over some basic stuff and getting to know each other better. I want you all to be friends, not just associates.”

He paused in the hallway. The other three council members turned to listen as well.

“I care about each of you, and I care about Auradon. That’s why you’re all here, because I want you to help me do what’s best.”

Everyone nodded at that. Ben really did have the truest intention of seeing Auradon thrive, and they all were genuinely invested in his vision.

“Alright,” Ben said, clapping his hands together. “Enough of that for now. Who’s hungry?”

Ben led them to a dining room, which he insisted wasn’t the main one though it was plenty lavish in Carlos’s eyes. The walls were a buttery wood, lined with paintings of various scenery from across the country in golden frames. The table was set for five with crisp white plates and sparkling silverware. Ben took a seat at the head, Peter to his left and Lonnie to his right. Jane sat next to Lonnie, so Carlos settled next to Peter.

Peter didn’t attend Auradon Prep, rather went to a smaller local school in the city where his parents lived. He got to go home each night to his family, and spend his weekends immersed in the city life. His mother was Wendy Darling, a past favorite of Peter Pan, and his father a local businessman. That’s all Carlos had gathered from Jane and Lonnie on the ride over. He was excited to spend time with someone outside of Auradon Prep, and someone who wasn’t royally involved.

As soon as they settled into their seats, five servants appeared from a side door carrying silver domed trays. Carlos stiffened, trying to remember all of Evie’s ‘Dining With Fancy People’ rules. Start with the outside fork. Don’t slurp. Chew with your mouth closed. Napkin in your lap. Sip delicately.

The servants placed the domes in front of each person, and then took the covers off with a flourish. Underneath was a steaming pizza, individually topped.

“Hope pizza is okay,” Ben chuckled.

Carlos gave a sigh of relief. Pizza he knew and could do.

“Nice choice of toppings, Ben,” Lonnie said, pulling out a slice. Hers seemed to have chunks of pineapple and bacon.

Carlos glanced down at his. It was polka dotted with white mozzarella spots and spinach leaves. Peter’s looked to have three different types of meat; Jane’s was plain cheese; Ben’s pepperoni. Carlos grinned. Ben really had made sure they were each to their personal tastes, without even having to ask. He just…cared that much. Carlos felt a lot more at ease as they all tucked into their pizza, no forks or knives in sight.

They chatted about school and sports as they ate. Peter’s school had a tourney team, and they were playing Auradon Prep the next weekend. The Auradon Knights weren’t doing too well this season, and they all figured the team wouldn’t see the playoffs.

“It’s Coach’s fault,” Carlos insisted, to Lonnie’s surprise.

“What do you mean?”

“I know I’m not on the team anymore,” Carlos defended himself. “But I know the plays. And he isn’t using each player to their natural advantage.”

Lonnie nodded thoughtfully. While she wasn’t technically on the tourney team, the new team captain since Ben had left, Aziz, went to her for sports advice constantly.

“I’ll mention that to Aziz,” Lonnie said. “We really miss having you on the team. And you, Ben.”

“I miss it,” Ben sighed. There seemed like more he wanted to say, but he didn’t.

They finished eating quietly. Then Ben gave them a small tour of the castle, pointing out various things that were historically significant. The claw marks that Beast had chosen not to cover up to remind him of his past, his parents’ wedding portrait, a room full of old armor. Jane asked about his parents, to which Ben said they had been on vacation for a while. It seemed that Ben had been alone in the castle for a bit, and was immensely glad to have company.

Ben also pointed out the rooms they would be sleeping in that night, their bags already placed in them. Carlos marveled at the softness of his bed. Somehow it was softer than his one at school which he had not thought possible.

They finally ended in his study, which was an equally lavish room as the rest of the castle, though Ben again insisted it was ‘modest’. It did have small touches of Ben here and there. The tourney season calendar was tacked up on a wall, and Ben had hung up pictures of his friends wherever he could. There were bookcases overflowing and large, plush chairs in a semi-circle around the fireplace. An oversized globe was situated in an awkward spot and Carlos gave it a small twirl, surprised to see dust rise at his touch. Ben’s desk was huge, and covered with papers and folders and stacks of books. Carlos nearly giggled as he imagined how small Ben must look while sitting there, surrounded by towering parchment and obligations. Huge windows overlooked a patch of the grounds covered in forest.

They settled around the room; Lonnie, Jane and Peter in the armchairs, Carlos sprawled on the floor in front of the fireplace, Ben leaned against a book case. Carlos was surprised that he felt comfortable, even relaxed, here.

“So,” Ben began. “I want to thank you all for accepting a position in my council, and for coming this weekend. I just want us to be on the same page about policies and intentions before facing the court. The first official court meeting is two weeks after Cotillion, when you’ll be sworn in as members of the council. We have some time, but I don’t want anyone to be caught off guard by anything. So questions, suggestions, ideas…all welcome. I want to hear everything that you see and think in relation to keeping Auradon secure. I know it’s a lot to ask of you, especially with how young we all are, to put you in the front line of running a country. But I trust you all, and I want you by my side.”

They were all quiet for a moment, then Peter spoke up.

“Ben, we know how important this is for you. I mean, it’s your whole life now. I’m here to give you everything I can, so you don’t have to shoulder this alone.”

“I’ve got your back,” Lonnie echoed.

“Yes, Ben. I’m here to help,” Jane added in.

Carlos nodded, looking up at Ben’s warm hazel gaze. He felt flushed to his core, the way Ben was looking at him. Like Carlos could make his dreams come true.

“I’m here,” Carlos said. “Not just Auradon. For you.”

Ben let out a giant sigh of relief, and sank down to the floor to join Carlos.

“You guys have no idea how much this means to me…This king stuff really took away my life.”

“Did you not expect it to?” Peter asked.

Carlos raised an eyebrow. That was a bold question. Ben tried to keep his personal thoughts and opinions quiet most of the time, since he was King and all. Everything he ‘felt’ was paraded like political fact.

“No,” Ben answered. “I thought I would have…more support from my dad, I guess. That I wouldn’t be taking everything over right away.”

Jane frowned at that, her eyebrows drawing together.

“Is he already hands-off? My mom said he was supposed to stay involved behind the scenes for at least another year.”

“Yeah, he’s really just. Left it all to me.”

“He’s abandoned you,” Carlos said without thinking. He winced as soon as the words left his mouth. Parents were a touchy subject in Auradon, but Carlos knew abandonment when he saw it. He was from the Isle, after all, and villains didn’t love their kids.

There was a tense silence, and everyone tried to look at the King without really looking at him. Then Ben laughed sadly, running a hand through his hair, pulling his knees up to his chest. Carlos was seized by a deep desire to protect the King, to make sure his dreams could come true.

“Yeah. _Heh_. Exactly, Carlos. That’s what it is, as much as I hate to say it. I have the reins and can’t even tell if I’m on the right path. Every time I try to ask him for advice, he shrugs me off.”

Jane slid off her chair and gave Ben a tight hug, which Ben leaned into slowly. Lonnie placed a hand on his shoulder. Peter and Carlos glanced at each other with a slow nod.

“Well, we’re here, Ben. We are your support system now, okay? You may want what’s best for Auradon, but we”—Carlos gestured at the other three— “want what’s best for you.”

Another moment of silence passed, comfortably though.

“Okay, enough sappy stuff,” Lonnie said, straightening up. “We’ve got a country to run.”

Jane let go of Ben and sat back in her chair. Ben chuckled, giving his eyes a quick wipe.

“Right, right. Okay. Well, my first goal is to keep bringing over more Isle kids,” Ben glanced at Carlos, who nodded his consent. That was a huge priority in his mind.

“I don’t know if they can all go to Auradon Prep,” Jane said thoughtfully. “Maybe we should look at other schools too.”

“I know there’s some good foster placement systems in the city,” Peter suggested. “That way they could have a home while they go to school.”

“That would be really good,” Carlos agreed. “I think that would help a lot with social adjustment.”

Ben nodded, stroking his chin.

“I got so excited about even brining kids over I didn’t think about what would happen once they got here. So this is really good to hear.”

“I’m sure my mom would love to see some kids in our kingdom,” Lonnie added. “She loves a good rehabilitation program.”

“Mm, I should definitely talk to other countries as well, that would help with numbers.”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t concentrate a bunch of villain kids in one area,” Carlos said. “I mean, look what almost happened with the four of us.”

Ben nodded grimly. They all remembered Maleficent’s attempted takeover.

“Is Maleficent really a lizard now?” Peter asked.

Carlos laughed openly at that.

“She is. Mal keeps her in a fish tank in her room.”

“Wow. A lizard mom…that’s pretty cool,” Peter said, giving Carlos a sly grin.

“I also want to talk about magic use,” Ben said, bringing them back to him. “I don’t think it should be as heavily…”

“Restricted?” Jane supplied. “It would be better if there were more places than Queen Elsa’s to learn how to at least control magic. I know my mom was so afraid of me inheriting any that she put me on blockers when I was six.”

“Blockers?” Carlos asked, curious. He’d heard them mentioned by people but not from people he could ask more questions.

“Yeah, they stop the magic from manifesting. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t put Mal or Evie on any when they got here.”

“But Mal’s been training to use her magic with Fairy Godmother,” Carlos said, his brow furrowed. He wondered what Jane meant by putting Evie on blockers too, but stayed on subject. “Why can’t you, Jane?”

Jane shrugged.

“Mom’s choice. Until I’m 18, I can’t be allowed to access my magic, if I even have any.”

“That’s just it,” Ben said. “If we bring over more Isle kids, there needs to be magic training programs, available to Auradon citizens as well. The restrictions can’t stay in place.”

“Mom will like that,” Peter said. “She hates that Pan can’t visit Auradon because of the magic restrictions.”

“Evil, I didn’t even think of that,” Ben sighed. “There’s so many things I want to fix!”

“Hey,” Lonnie said gently. “You have time, Ben. You don’t have to fix everything right away. You’re going to be king for a while.”

They all laughed at that, though Carlos sincerely hoped it was true. Ben was pushing for changes that Auradon might not want. Ben was the future of a better world, and he would certainly be targeted for it.

But Carlos wanted to see Ben’s world come to fruition.


	8. Fireside Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Carlos get deep during their sleepover

The five of them stayed up for a while longer, pitching ideas and going over rules and court members. There were certain people who would support Ben no matter what, people who would support or oppose depending on the proposition, and then the people who would oppose Ben at all costs. The most important thing was getting the sway voters to choose Ben’s side, which was in a way up to the four council members. They needed to find what would get the neutral voters to side with Ben, and determine if it was worth the work.

Eventually Jane began yawning, and despite her protests, was goaded towards bed by Lonnie, who also retired for the night. Peter didn’t last much longer than the girls and then it was just Carlos and Ben by the fire

They sat in the arm chairs quietly, watching the flickering flames. It was getting low, mostly coals and ash now, but still warm. 

“Is it…bad, on the Isle?” Ben asked Carlos quietly. “Like, really bad?”

Carlos chewed his lips a moment. He wasn’t sure how much Ben supported his father’s decision to even make the Isle, so he wanted to tread carefully.

“It definitely…is a punishment, like your father intended.”

Ben shook his head ruefully.

“Sometimes I can’t believe he really did that. I mean, he brought villains back from the dead just to force them to live on this…island prison for eternity. What does the Isle even accomplish?”

Carlos laughed ruefully. What it accomplished was an ego boost for the heroes, a way to pat themselves on the back for being ‘good’.

“Misery. Fear. Resentment.”

“Do you…resent Auradon, Carlos?”

Ben was watching Carlos intently, gauging every flicker of emotion or nervous gesture. Carlos hadn’t felt this scrutinized since he last saw his mother.

“I resent the existence of the Isle, mostly. It didn’t ever have to exist. But it does, and it’s a kind of special hell. I mean, there’s never clean water or unspoiled food. Electricity is more unpredictable than X’s mood. It’s full of gangs and rivalries and injured egos. I mean, you—well, your father—put a bunch of literal villains on a small plot of land. They aren’t exactly the kind of people who will band together to make a better life for each other.”

Ben nodded as Carlos spoke, chewing on his lower lip. His eyes were dewy, like he was about to cry.

“What was the worst part? If…if I can ask that.”

Carlos shrugged. He got the question a lot, and would usually defer to the lack of non-moldy food. But he wanted to be honest with Ben, to let Ben in, the way he let Carlos in.

“I guess it was…my mother. I mean, we all had it bad, don’t get me wrong, me and Evie and Mal and Jay. But my mom is the most unstable, which meant that everyday was a gamble on if she would recognize me, or if she would see…something else. Those were scary days, when she looked at me and didn’t see her son, or even a person. Then I was just…nothing. Nothing at all.”

Carlos took a shaky breath. Ben placed a hand on his knee, and didn’t push Carlos to keep talking. But Carlos wanted to, he wanted Ben to know why there were still times when Jay would find him curled tight under the bed, trying to take up as little space as possible. Or when Evie had to hold his hands away from trying to scrape the scars his mother had left him with off of his body.

“It takes a lot to convince yourself you have enough worth to live. Or at least to survive.”

“To survive…” Ben echoed, his eyes distant, trying to imagine living on the Isle. “I really don’t know anything about that.”

“You know about it, in your own way,” Carlos said, gesturing at the castle. “Or at least you will soon. Being king is going to mean being able to separate yourself from that. Things aren’t always going to happen the way you want them, and you’re going to have to live with it.”

Ben nodded, though it wasn’t obvious if Carlos’s words reached him. He looked so young in the dim firelight, but his body already held the ache of being a leader.

Carlos wanted to comfort Ben, offer him something sturdy to build his dreams on. He reached over and placed his hand on Ben’s cheek, rubbing a small circle with his thumb on Ben’s soft skin.

Ben’s eyes darted to meet Carlos’s. Both boys blushed fervently, and Carlos withdrew his hand, tearing his gaze towards the fire. He didn’t know what this feeling blooming in the pit of his stomach was. Protectiveness, maybe? Or just fondness?

Ben cleared his throat awkwardly, also shifting his gaze to the fire.

“I don’t…know that much about you, Carlos. Like, I mean. I know the obvious, but. I grew up with Lonnie and Peter, and have been in school with Jane since we were six. I know we can’t _know_ each other like that in a short amount of time…but. I want to _know_ you.”

Carlos smiled, remembering how Ben had asked Mal the same thing on their first date (though it was much gentler when Ben said it than when Mal had reenacted the conversation nearly a year ago).

“I don’t know what there is to tell. I’m…an only child, but I have a cousin on the Isle, Diego. He’s my mom’s nephew, though I’m not sure what happened to his dad. But I don’t know my dad, either. I have my suspicions, but there’s no real way to know since my mother won’t talk about him.”

“I didn’t even think to ask about relatives,” Ben said, clearly ashamed of himself. “Evil, I should have looked in to that.”

“Actually, I was wondering how you even knew that the villains had kids. It’s not like the royal census taker ever showed up and knocked on our doors.”

“Oh! Well. We don’t have an explicit record of things, but the goblins who drive the barges have a good sense of the population, and Yid Sen sends letters sometimes.” Ben sighed. “So, very incomplete information.”

“That might be a good thing to adjust,” Carlos said, thinking of kids who went without toys because they never got put on the barges and the elder villains who fell sick, unable to recover without the medicine that never came.

“Is Diego older, younger…?” Ben returned the conversation to its original track. Politics could wait one more night.

“We’re about the same age, he’s a year or so older,” Carlos gave a little chuckle. “We don’t actually know my age, since my mom never wrote down my birthday or anything. No one knew she’d even had a kid until I was at least two.”

“What?”

Carlos shrugged.

“She’s a recluse. Horace and Jasper still do everything for her, so she didn’t have to leave the house during the pregnancy. And being out and about on the Isle isn’t exactly safe for a baby, or a woman who has recently had one. Weakness like that will get you in trouble.”

“Huh,” Ben said thoughtfully, leaning forward to stir the coals. He got up and placed another log on. “So how old do you think you are?”

“15? I assume I’m a bit younger than Mal and Jay and Evie, just based on when we all went through puberty.”

Ben nodded, and Carlos chuckled.

“God, puberty was the worst for Jay. He had the worst growing pains and couldn’t figure out why his voice was acting weird. Evie had to dig out every book the library had on the body to convince him he wasn’t dying.”

Ben laughed at that, imagining a slightly younger Jay panicking about hitting puberty.

“I’m sure he wasn’t as bad as Chad,” Ben rolled his eyes. “He grew a grand total of three chest hairs—all blonde, mind you—and decided he had invented the concept of ‘sexy’. He cut all his uniform shirts into a deep ‘V’ to show them off. Oh, his mom was so mad!”

Carlos cackled. He still harbored a feeling of disdain for the Charming heir, and made a note to tell Jay about that later.

“Hmm, what was it like growing up with your folks?” Carlos asked. “I mean, they’re pretty big news, magic and romance and a heroine instead of just a guy on a horse.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re not kidding. Their reputation doesn’t go away when it’s just us. Well, whenever my dad’s around. He is never not King, which is just what it’s always been. But I’m really close with my mom. She’s a lot more level-headed, and kind. Motherly.”

Carlos noted that Ben’s entire face lit up when he spoke about Belle. He felt a flash of envy, wondering what it would be like to have a mother who cared. But that was something he’d reckoned with a long time ago, and the feeling passed quickly.

“What’s it like living in a whole castle?”

“Drafty.”

Both boys laughed at Ben’s response. Carlos remembered the chilly nights at Hell Hall, especially in winter, when winds traveled through each room. He wondered if it was similar here, if Ben had spent nights piled under blankets, trying to ignore the gusts that brought chills directly to the bone.

They came from very different worlds. Carlos knew that, and knew that they would always remember that fact. But they were more alike than Carlos had ever expected them to be, and that gave him a warm feeling. 

“There is one thing I’ve always wanted to know, Ben.”

“Hmm?”

Carlos took a deep breath. This was one of the things that hounded him and the other villain kids non-stop, even as they made their lives in Auradon.

“Why _us_?”

Ben let out a deep breath, his eyebrows furrowed. He immediately understood the question. Why had he picked Mal, daughter of Maleficent? Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen? Jay, son of Jafar? Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil? Why them, over everyone else on the Isle? 

“I’ve been waiting for that. You’re actually the first to ask, of anyone, even when I made the declaration…

I didn’t pick you guys, you and Mal and Jay and Evie because of who you are, though I wish I had. I picked you because of your parents.” Ben looked at Carlos nervously through his eyelashes. “I thought it would be great if the kids of our worst enemies, the ones who are still used as bogeymen to scare young kids, could live among us in peace, then people would see that there is not such a distinct divide between good and evil. That it’s not as clear cut as the generation before us made it out to be. I just…wanted to take a chance. And I’m really glad I did.”

Carlos avoided meeting Ben’s eyes for a moment. It stung a bit to hear that he had been picked because of who his mother was. But that was probably the best thing she’d ever done for him. And time and time again, he had proven that he wasn’t his mother. He might not have ever been able to come from under the shadow on the Isle. But in Auradon, where Ben had brought him, he had truly been able to live as himself. Not someone evil, but not someone ‘good’ either. Just, Carlos.

“I’m glad you did, too,” Carlos told Ben. “I am really glad.”

Ben’s smile was brighter than the fire next to them, and Carlos grinned in return. The warm feeling in his stomach had spread throughout his entire body, the same way he felt when he was with the other villain kids, his family, his home.

Maybe he didn’t have to limit himself to one home. Maybe he could find another home with Ben.


	9. Unprecedented Times

After the sleepover at Ben’s, things became even more frantic. Cotillion was only a month away, and that meant there was only a month before Carlos would be part of Auradon’s court.

He felt overwhelmed most of the time, but was confident that he was doing something useful with his life. Plus, he had Evie talking him through significant political maneuvers while she sewed the (what felt like) hundred dresses that had been ordered for Cotillion. Mal was still helping him with public speaking and Jay…well Jay was just Carlos’s lifeline.

Whenever things got a little too much, Jay dragged him away from school and politics. They usually ended up goofing around by the Enchanted Lake. Carlos savored those stolen moments, when neither of them were performing for the people around them. They could be just Jay and just Carlos, not Isle or Auradon, just themselves.

Then came something that even Ben hadn’t been expecting.

The rest of Auradon’s Court had put forth a demand that Carlos be ‘interviewed’ by a panel of professionals in order to determine if he was ‘capable’ of serving on Ben’s council. 

Ben was furious. He kept calling it “unprecedented” and “obviously biased”, pacing his room at the school.

It was late in the evening on a school night. Ben had received a ‘formal’ letter from the standing court members and called Carlos over immediately. Jay was standing cross-armed near the door, frowning. Jane and Lonnie were perched on Ben’s couch, Mal and Evie standing near the window. Everyone kept their gaze focused on Ben, trying not to look at Carlos.

Carlos sighed, leaning against a chair. He had been worried that something like this would happen, though he hadn’t expected it to be before Cotillion. Carlos had hoped that he would have a chance to prove himself at least a bit before being dragged under the microscope. But he couldn’t blame them.

He’d only been in Auradon a little under a year, had never travelled outside of Auradon Prep except to Ben’s castle, was barely 15, had no political or royal lineage …and he still carried his mother’s name. There were already a lot of things stacked against him. 

“Ben,” Carlos said, breaking the King’s pacing. “It’s okay. I’ll do the interview.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Jane piped up. “Not unless all of us have to, too.”

Lonnie and Evie nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, but you guys aren’t the direct descendant of a puppy killer,” Carlos said. He intended to lighten the mood, but at the mention of his mother’s biggest crime, the whole mood darkened even further. 

“You’re not your mother,” Jay and Ben chorused immediately. The two shared a quick but heated glance.

Carlos held up his hands to stop further comments.

“I know I’m not. And you all know I’m not. But I’m going to be proving to people the rest of my life that I’m not her. No matter where I go or what I do. That’s what we all have to deal with, one way or another. We live in the shadows of our parents, even when they’re the heroes,” Carlos gave Ben, Jane, and Lonnie a pointed look. “So if they want to ask me some dumb questions about my morals, I’d be happy to show them I am not who they’re afraid I am.”

Ben frowned as Carlos finished but didn’t say anything further. Mal gave Carlos a proud grin and Evie reached over and gave Carlos’s shoulder a squeeze. That was probably the longest ‘speech’ he’d given to a group yet. He was becoming more and more confident in himself, and the two girls were incredibly proud of their friend.

“You know…” Lonnie said thoughtfully. “Doing this, since it is with a bunch of “professionals”, will kind of clear your name for the rest of the public. I mean, what they say will go.”

“Oh,” Jane nodded, following Lonnie’s thought process. “When they give you the all-clear, that’s basically giving you a life-pass.”

“Good point,” Ben nodded as well, stroking his chin. “I guess this might have an up-side after all.”

Jay huffed but looked away when Carlos raised a questioning eyebrow at him. He didn’t press, knowing Jay would tell him what was up later.

“Good,” Mal said, stretching and heading for the door. “I’m tired, and I have a math test tomorrow.”

Evie rolled her eyes, knowing full well Mal didn’t have any tests that week, but followed her to the door. It was time for the Isle kids to regroup and process, away from the others.

Ben let them all out of his room, Carlos the last to leave.

“Hey,” Ben said, grabbing Carlos’s arm he left. “I just…want you to know I’m not going to let anything happen to you. And if any of this is too much…you can always walk away, okay?”

“Ben,” Carlos gave a soft smile, looking into the King’s dazzling hazel eyes. He bit back the usual ‘I can take care of myself’ banter. “…Thank you.”

Ben nodded and the two stood looking into each other’s eyes for a long moment.

“Uh,” Ben said, dropping his hand suddenly. “Okay, good. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Night, Ben,” Carlos said as Ben closed his bedroom door.

“Night, Carlos.”

Carlos wandered away from Ben’s room slowly. Part of him was filled with a warm, fluttery feeling, but he couldn’t tell if it was nerves about the interview or if…it had something to do with Ben.

The other three were already in the boys’ dorm room when Carlos entered.

Mal was sprawled next to Jay on his bed, both in their pajamas. Evie poked her head out from the bathroom, her toothbrush in her mouth, and gave Carlos a wave as he began to undress.

After his pajamas were on, and Evie had finished her nighttime skin care routine, the four piled onto Jay’s bed together. Jay was tense, fidgeting with his earring and tapping his foot against Mal’s back.

“Jay, if you don’t stop kicking me,” Mal threatened.

“Sorry, sorry…” Jay huffed. “You don’t have to do the interview, C.”

The other three turned to look at Jay. His brow was furrowed, and he was radiating anger.

“Jay, it’s okay,” Carlos insisted.

“No, it’s not, C. They can’t just, demand that you prove yourself to them! You don’t have anything to prove!” Jay’s voice rose.

“Jay,” Evie said very gently, placing a hand on his arm. “Deep breaths.”

Jay inhaled sharply through his nose. Carlos and Mal shared a worried glance. It had been a while since they’d seen Jay so worked up. Therapy and tourney had been helping him keep his temper in check. He hadn’t been in a fight in months. Jay let out a shaky exhale, then resumed his rant.

“I just don’t think it’s fair that you have to prove to these spoiled bastards that you’re a good person. You’re better than all of them, and I hate that they’re turning you into a…a… test subject or something.”

“Jay,” Carlos said softly. He reached over and shifted Jay’s chin until their eyes met. Carlos held Jay’s gaze tenderly. The world seemed to slip away, and all there was, was him and Jay. The whole world in his eyes.

Carlos blinked and came back to himself. He pulled his hand away from Jay’s face slowly.

“It’s okay. I promise. This is a real chance for me to make a different. So what if I have to jump through a few extra hoops? I can make real changes on Ben’s council, changes for the kids still back on the Isle. Being asked a few questions is worth being able to do something.”

Jay sighed, slowly calming down. He knew Carlos was right, even though he still hated the idea of Carlos being forced to prove himself. Carlos had the opportunity to make people’s lives better, to bring more kids over from the Isle, and to make sure that no one got sent back.

“I still don’t like it,” Jay grumbled, shoving Mal over so he could lay next to her.

Carlos smiled. Jay was just trying to protect him, and he felt the same warm and fluttery feeling bloom across his chest again.

Evie gave a giant yawn, trying to cover it with her hand. Mal gave a quiet chuckle, and turned to the boys.

“Princess needs her beauty sleep. You two going to be alright tonight?”

Carlos and Jay nodded. Mal pulled Evie up off the bed as Evie yawned again.

“Mmm…see you tomorrow?” Evie mumbled sleepily.

“Of course, Princess,” Jay said.

“Hit the lights on your way out,” Carlos told Mal.

The two girls headed back to their dorm, leaving Jay and Carlos in the dark.

Carlos got up off Jay’s bed and crawled into his own, nestling deep under the covers. He was tired. And although he didn’t want anyone else to know, absolutely terrified about the interview.

What if they thought he was too much like his mother? What if they rejected him from Ben’s council? What if they thought he was a villain at heart? What would they do? Send him back to the Isle?

“Pup?”

Carlos rolled over towards Jay’s voice.

“Yeah?”

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

Carlos paused a minute. It really was like Jay could read his thoughts sometimes.

“You know I’ve got you, right?” Jay continued when Carlos didn’t answer right away. “Whatever happens. You have me.”

Carlos flushed, his insides feeling gooey like melted chocolate.

“Thanks, Jay. That means…everything to me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jay said softly, but gruffly. “Goodnight, man.”

Carlos smiled at Jay’s side of the room.

“Goodnight, Jay.”

And with that Carlos drifted into a light slumber, his mother’s shadow chasing him through his dreams.

* * *

The day of the interview arrived faster than Carlos had expected. He’d spent the past two weeks trying to both prep for council stuff and also interview stuff. His friends had been drilling him with all sorts of questions they thought he might be asked, ranging from “Have you ever killed an animal?” to “What’s your favorite place in Auradon?”. They really didn’t know what to expect from the interview, as no one had ever had to have one before.

Evie dressed him in a sharp suit, sticking to dark blue and black colors. She had wanted to put Carlos in his usual color scheme, but he insisted on avoiding red and white to prevent any associations with Cruella.

But now, looking at himself in the mirror, he didn’t quite recognize himself. He was looking at someone who blended in with the crowd, who followed rules, and helped elderly people across the street. He hoped he could convince the panel that’s who he was, or that he was at least good enough to stay in Auradon.

Ben had gotten a guarantee that no matter what the panel decided about Carlos’s place in Ben’s council, that Carlos would not be leaving Auradon. But Carlos didn’t trust that guarantee. He knew that King Beast still resented having the kids of villains in his land, and if he could find a way to ship them back to the Isle he would.

There was a sharp rap on his door. Carlos opened it. Ben was standing in the hallway, flanked by Mal, Evie, Lonnie, Jane…and Jay, who was leaning on the wall across from the door.

“It’s time,” Ben said stiffly. He looked as nervous as Carlos felt, though Carlos hoped he was doing a good job hiding it.

“You look…good,” Mal managed, slightly unsure if she was looking at the same Carlos DeVil that she knew and loved. The others quickly nodded, unnerved. The lack of red and white was a lot more unsettling than anyone had expected it to be.

“Let’s get this over with,” Carlos sighed, stepping into the hall.

The seven of them trooped to the front door, where a car was waiting for Carlos. He wasn’t allowed to bring anyone with him, despite Ben’s best efforts. It had to be an “untainted conversation”, apparently. Carlos had no idea what anyone could do to “taint” him, but he was not looking forward to the lonesome ride there and back.

As he reached for the car handle, Evie threw her arms around him.

“I…You’ve got this, Pup,” Evie whispered into his ear.

Abruptly, Carlos found himself the center of a group hug, even Jay and Ben wrapping their arms around the small boy. Carlos was flooded with a warm emotion, safe in the arms of his friends.

Then, all the arms around him were gone and he was being ushered into the back of the car.

He waved to his friends as they drove away, though he wasn’t sure if they saw him through the tinted glass. All too soon, they became dots on the receding horizon, and then they were gone from his view. Carlos turned around and faced the front of the car, taking deep breaths to center himself. 

Carlos was on his own.


	10. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so, Carlos is interviewed to determine if he can serve on Ben's council.

Carlos hardly noticed when the car stopped moving. They had driven for a few hours, all the way to Auradon City. Carlos was too nervous to study his new surroundings. Numbly, he stepped out into crisp air, and looked at the building he was being guided towards. It was intimidating, that was for sure. An awkward of mix of older architecture styles resulted in squared steel doors mashed between stone gargoyles resting on either side. Their faces were grotesquely shaped, and Carlos swallowed another wave of unease, hoping they weren’t the kind that could come to life.

The driver left him at the front desk, where a chipper woman in an electric yellow power suit was typing furiously at a computer. She was the only spot of color in the room. There were two closed doors behind her, and an overbearing portrait of King Adam hung between them. Otherwise the room was sparse, black and white marble floors, a single potted plant looking very wilted in a corner. No exits, no hiding places. Nothing about this place was putting Carlos at ease.

“How can I help you?” she chirped, not glancing at him.

“Uh…I’m Carlos DeVil? I have an…”

“Ohhhh,” the woman said, stopping her typing immediately. She looked him up and down, then leaned over to the phone. She punched in a number and waited for the person on the other end to pick up. “Yeah, he’s here. Okay, yeah. Okay.”

She hung the phone up with a bit of force, though Carlos didn’t think she meant to. She seemed…nervous, now that she knew who was standing in front of her. She refused to make eye contact though Carlos offered a weak smile.

The door to Carlos’s right swung open and never before had Carlos been so relieved to see Fairy Godmother.

“Hi, Carlos,” she smiled warmly, beckoning him to follow. “My, don’t you look handsome!”

“Thank you,” Carlos said genuinely. He was hoping she was on the panel, so he wouldn’t be in a room full of strangers.

Fairy Godmother directed them through a maze of tiled hallways, the walls intermittently decorated with a painted landscape. There were so many doors Carlos lost count after their second turn.

“Now, I don’t want you to be worried, okay?”

“Are you on the panel?”

“Oh, no, sweetie. I’m sorry. I was just here to give them my thoughts on you, and to make sure you got here safely.”

“Oh,” Carlos said. She had given a report on him? Oh, Evil, what had she told them already? And who else had been asked to give a report? He did not like this at all.

Finally, Fairy Godmother stopped at yet another door. She gave a soft rapt and then turned to face Carlos.

“You’re a wonderful person, dear. Don’t forget that,” she said quietly, and gave him a quick hug. She let go as the door opened, and Carlos gave her a smile. For all her strictness, she really did care about him and the other Isle kids. Sometimes he forgot that. But right now, she had given him exactly what he needed.

“Mr. DeVil?”

“Yes,” Carlos said, taking a deep breath and turning towards the voice. A broad-shouldered man gestured him to come inside, and Carlos stepped into the room.

Carlos was slightly relieved that the room was not set up like court. He and Evie had watched a lot of court-room drama shows on the Isle, and leading up to the interview he had been expecting to give his testimony on the stand with rows of jurors deciding his fate.

Instead, there was a large, circular table. Four people were already seated. The man pulled out a chair for the boy, and sat down to Carlos’s right. Carlos sat down and nervously shifted, trying to sit up straight and appear confident. Mal’s voice echoed in his head, reminding him to keep a steady gaze and not to fidget.

“Hello, Mr. DeVil, thank you for joining us today,” an auburn-haired woman sitting across from Carlos said.

“Just Carlos is fine,” Carlos said immediately, hating that he jumped in so soon. But the woman nodded and smiled gently. She reminded Carlos of someone, but he tried to stay focused on what was happening in front of him.

“Carlos. We are all very glad to have the chance to speak with you. Ever since King Ben’s proclamation, we have been eager to meet not just you, but your friends as well.

We are going to introduce ourselves before we get started, so that way you know why we’re the ones interviewing you. And while this is an interview with you, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask them.”

Carlos nodded. He was sure he wouldn’t have any questions.

“Wonderful! Well, I’m Anita Radcliffe.”

Carlos couldn’t stop his eyes from going wide. That’s why he knew this woman. Cruella had managed to keep a scrap book, full of her old designs, programs, and pictures from her hey-day. Anita was in most of the pictures with Cruella, the two women usually looking at each other fondly. Carlos was never supposed to have seen the scrap book, but Cruella wasn’t good at hiding things, and he had found it one day while cleaning. Curiosity had gotten the better of him, and ended up planting a bitter seed of resentment in his heart. Those pictures were the only place Carlos ever saw his mother’s smile. Somewhere between Anita and the Dalmatian puppies, Cruella, the fashion genius, caring, smart, and sane Cruella, had been lost.

“And, well, I’m sure you know why I’m on this panel…I was…close with your mother for a long time.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Radcliffe,” Carlos managed to choke out. Evil. He had to prove himself to the very woman who Cruella had tried to destroy, but who had instead destroyed Cruella. This might be harder than he thought.

“I’m Doc,” said a white-haired man sitting next to Anita. He was incredibly jolly looking, with red cheeks and a round form, “of Seven Dwarf fame. I think you know my nephew, Doug. I’m one of the longest standing members of Auradon’s court, so I’m here as the resident old fart.”

Everyone gave a polite chuckle. Carlos definitely liked Doc better than Doug’s father, Dopey. He felt more like a grandfather than anything else, while Dopey felt like someone who was always hyped up on too much sugar.

“I’m Dr. Coleman, I’m the head of the Auradon Psychology Board. I’m here to evaluate your mental health. Your regular therapist, Dr. Miller, has already given a report, which will be considered when we make our decision,” the woman to Doc’s left said. She had short, spiked red hair and gave Carlos a tight smile. She seemed unbiased, which was hopeful.

“Oh, uh. Nice to meet you,” Carlos stammered out. He knew there was someone else who shared info about him beforehand. At least Dr. Miller seemed to like him, so the report should be positive.

“I’m Mr. Labarthe, I’m a lawyer, here to make sure everything is in accordance with Auradonian laws.”

Carlos nodded, of course there would be a lawyer. Evie had warned him there would be one, since everything was done by the book here. Except for this entire interview, since there had never been any reason to have to clear a villain kid for court status before.

Finally, the man who had let Carlos in spoke up.

“Pleasure to meet you, Carlos, I’m Sir Bart, I’m a knight from Camelot. I’m here as a reasonable voice.”

Well. Carlos was sitting next to a real ass knight. With a title and everything. Carlos subtly swallowed, trying to avoid the sudden wave of intimidation that swept through him. He hoped Sir Bart wasn’t here for security measures. Carlos wasn’t going to try anything. Not that the panel knew that.

“Now that that is out of the way,” Anita said with a warm smile, “Are you ready to get started?”

Carlos gave a sharp nod. The sooner they started asking him questions the sooner he could go back to his friends and, hopefully, Ben’s council.

“First, how have you been adjusting to Auradon? I know the transition must have been rough,” Anita said.

“It was rough, especially at first. Things are different here, and I wasn’t used to a lot of it. But I’ve had a lot of help getting to know what Auradon is like. And that made me realize that I want to be able to help other people, ideally other kids from the Isle when they make the transition.”

Everyone smiled delicately at Carlos’s response. They all knew that was the sterile answer, but that was why they were here. To see if Carlos could be ‘okay’ enough to participate in the ruling of Auradon. Honesty wasn’t the goal. ‘Goodness’ was; specifically Auradon’s narrowly defined idea of ‘good’ that had allowed for the neglect and mistreatment of half their citizens. 

“How would you describe your…understanding of the laws here?” Mr. Labarthe asked next.

“I’m becoming more and more familiar with them. I’ve been making an effort to read up on Auradon’s history to understand why and when certain laws were enacted,” Carlos’s answer rolled off his tongue. Evie had prepped him for this one.

“So our politics are…acceptable to you?” Mr. Labarthe pushed, staring Carlos down.

Carlos held his gaze unwaveringly, hoping Dr. Miller had not included Carlos’s sentiments about politics in his report.

“I find them focused on fairness, which I respect,” Carlos answered, keeping it short.

And with that, the interview truly began. It became a non-stop barrage of questions from the panel members. Carlos kept up as best he could, but soon he was feeling like he was just repeating himself.

They asked about how he spent his time, his relationship with Ben and the other Isle kids, how he was doing in his classes, what his passions were, what he had in mind for Auardon’s future, his eating and sleeping habits, if he could list the biggest five political movements from the past century, how he expected to engage with other members of the court, what he wanted to do with his life, what he thought about Auradon and the Isle’s security measures, what could be done differently, so on and so forth….and then, of course. They asked about the Isle, and his mother. It was a lot, and no one pried, but there were moments when they all knew Carlos was holding back. But, they moved on each time, asking another and another and yet another question of the freckled boy.

Anita and Dr. Coleman shared a quick glance when the interview reached it’s second hour. Carlos noticed, but was too exhausted to try and decipher any meaning from it. His butt ached from sitting in the chair for so long, and his jaw was beginning to hurt. He wanted to scrabble up the side of a building, or run through cobbled streets, or just…bolt. Anything to wake himself up from how _still_ he was forcing himself to be.

Mr. Labarthe opened his mouth to ask yet another question (he had done most of the drilling) and Carlos barely held back a groan. Then, Anita came to his rescue.

“Thank you, Carlos,” she said, stacking her papers neatly. She gave Dr. Labarthe a look with an arched brow that remind Carlos of his mother. “I think we have asked you more than enough to make an informed decision.”

“Agreed,” Dr. Coleman, Doc, and Sir Bart echoed. Only Mr. Labarthe looked dissatisfied, but he seemed like he could have the world and still want more. He gave a curt nod when Anita’s glare didn’t let up.

“I’m glad to help,” Carlos said, trying to keep the rasp out of his voice. He had gone through a few glasses of water, but this was truly the most he’d ever spoken to anyone, ever. He knew he should be more nervous, more on edge, but all he could think about was how badly he wanted to lay down. Preferably with Jay next to him, as a safety net for the bad dreams that were sure to come in his sleep.

The panel stood and Carlos stood as well, wincing slightly as he realized his left foot had fallen asleep.

“Thank you so much for your time,” Anita said with a fond smile. “We appreciate you doing this.”

“My pleasure,” Carlos responded, trying to keep his voice from going monotone.

Sir Bart gestured for Carlos to once again follow him to the door. Carlos obliged, and with a final smile that he hoped portrayed goodness and confidence, left his interview.

Sir Bart closed the door behind him, and Carlos sighed. He shook out his asleep foot and then remembered he had no idea how to get out of the building. He turned the way he felt he had come earlier in the day, and was relieved to see Fairy Godmother waiting for him, perched daintily on a chair in the hallway.

“Fairy Godmother,” Carlos croaked.

The woman looked up with a kindness that nearly pushed Carlos to tears. He had laid his soul bare to these people, but with so much filtering he wasn’t even sure what he had told them. He was drained.

“Oh, dear, come with me,” Fairy Godmother said softly. “Let’s get you home.”

Home. Now that was where Carlos did want to be.

Barley coherent, Carlos followed Fairy Godmother out of the building. She directed him into the back of a car, handed him a bottle of water and a blanket, then climbed into the passenger seat. Carlos curled into himself under the blanket and fell asleep before they turned the corner.


	11. Vulnerability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the interview wrecks havoc on Carlos's emotional state.   
> This chapter has a bit of Jay's perspective (finally)!

A gentle hand shook Carlos’s shoulder. The white-haired boy sat up bolt right, spine rigid, forcing his sleep-crusted eyes wide.

“We’re back,” Fairy Godmother said soothingly, holding the car door open.

“Oh,” Carlos murmured, relaxing slightly.

He slid out of the car, still exhausted from the interview, but feeling a little better.

It was late afternoon on a Friday. Carlos gave a quick glance around campus as Fairy Godmother walked with him to the dorms. Everyone was still in classes; their walk was uninterrupted. Carlos was grateful to not have to deal with anyone just yet. He wanted to sleep some more, and then eat, before being bombarded by yet more questions, even if they were from his friends.

Fairy Godmother left him in the foyer of the dorm building with a gentle pat on his shoulder, making him promise to come see her soon. He supposed tea with her wouldn’t be that terrible. She always had great brownies.

Carlos slugged up to his room, fumbling with the lock. He pushed open the door and sighed in relief. The lights were out, meaning Jay wasn’t home, and natural sunlight was spilling into the room, filling it with warmth. Without a further glance around Carlos locked the door behind him and began tugging off his suit. It was comfortable, but sitting in it for so long had made him want to claw the fabric off his body. He padded to the bathroom in his socks and underwear, then paused, and returned to gather up the discarded pieces of clothing. He folded them carefully and placed them on a chair. He didn’t want to damage Evie’s hard work.

Then he took a hot shower, trying to let the water wash off how skeevy he felt. That was what he had decided was the best word to sum up the interview; skeevy. It hadn’t been outright unsettling, but it was… _off_. All those questions he had been asked were just attempts to find out if he was his mother, if he was a threat to Ben, or a threat to Auradon.

Most of his answers were half-truths, especially when they asked about the Isle. He had been getting good at burying his Isle self with all the court stuff. He felt like he was finally finding out who Auradon Carlos was, and bringing up the Isle took that façade of ‘goodness’ away.

And now that he was away from the interview, he couldn’t remember a single answer he gave. Had he mentioned his role in Maleficent’s ploy for the wand? Did he tell them about being banned from tourney? Had he mentioned Ben’s political goals for the next year? Did he tell them his favorite food? Carlos groaned, turning off the hot water. He had absolutely no idea what he had said to the panel and thus, no way of guessing if they would approve him or not. Everything was now out of his control.

Carlos dried off and pulled on his pajamas. He was hungry but was too anxious to leave his room. He’d try and nap some more, and then maybe his friends would bring him some food. Hopefully, chocolate was on the menu tonight. He could sure use something sweet to dampen the sick feeling in his stomach.

Carlos opened the bathroom door and made his way to his bed, distracted. He didn’t notice that the overhead lights had been turned on, or that someone was standing in the room with him.

Jay cleared his throat softly.

Carlos jumped, springing back into a crouching position, arms up.

“It’s me, Pup,” Jay said evenly, not moving from his spot near the door. He knew better than to move when Carlos was startled.

“Oh, Jay,” Carlos sighed in relief, standing up fully. “Hi.”

Jay smiled broadly, and moved into the room. He was carrying a tray loaded with food.

“Don’t you have a class right now?” Carlos asked, glancing at the clock. “Or tourney practice?”

Jay shook his head.

“I couldn’t focus. Made it through one class before I dipped. Told Coach I wasn’t feeling well. Was worried about you.”

Carlos blushed.

“Here,” Jay gestured towards the tray. “Eat something. I’m sure they didn’t feed you.”

Carlos gave a small nod and pulled a bag of chocolate candies out from the pile. Jay chuckled as the other boy began shoveling candy into his mouth. 

“Eat something more than that, too, okay?”

“I will, I will,” Carlos rasped. His voice was still shaky from over-use.

“Man, they must have done a number on you for your voice to sound like that,” Jay observed, his brow furrowed. His anger at Auradon’s politicians resurfaced. Carlos was just a kid! And one that didn’t like talking to strangers to begin with. He shouldn’t have had to do an entire interview by himself.

Carlos kept eating and Jay pulled out his phone. He sent a quick check-in message to Mal and Evie, saying Carlos was finally back, and someone please ask Audrey for that tea that helps your throat because he sounds like a frog.

 _Did they really make him talk that much?_ Mal texted back, a frowning devil emoji signaling she was just as upset as Jay about this. Then, Evie texted with a promise to snag some of that tea after her classes finished for the day, and Mal added she’d heard honey helped with sore throats, so she’d get some from the pantry before coming to see the boys.

Satisfied, Jay turned back to the other boy, who had stopped eating to consider something, his head titled to the side like a puppy’s. His eyes were even darker brown with the purple eye bags under them, and all Jay wanted to do was kiss him on his chocolate covered mouth.

“Wait,” Carlos paused, half a bite of chocolate in his mouth. “What have you been doing all day?”

“Waiting for you to get back,” Jay shrugged. “I figured you’d need food when you got back, so. Ate the first round I grabbed for lunch, though, when you didn’t show up by then, so. Had to grab some more, and then. You were back.”

Carlos beamed at Jay, incredibly touched by his concern.

“I’m here now,” Carlos said, his voice scratching. Then he gave a huge yawn, big enough where Jay could see chocolate stuck to his back molars. “And I’m tired.”

“Eat something substantial before you sleep, or you’ll get a tummy ache,” Jay insisted, echoing the warning Evie gave Carlos at least once a week.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Carlos rolled his eyes, but began to nibble on a sandwich. He ate half before his body was hit with another wave of exhaustion. Then he put down the food and grabbed a bottle of water, which he drank half of then placed on his nightstand. With quick movements, Carlos settled himself into his bed, eyes blinking wearily.

“Do you…” Jay hesitated, watching Carlos begin to drift off. “Want me to stay?”

Carlos looked at Jay, at his long hair neatly plaited, his dark eyes big with worry, his hands nervously fluttering, looking for something to do. He loved Jay.

“Lay with me,” Carlos croaked, scooching over, letting his exhausted mind make the decision for him.

Jay nodded, biting back a smile. He chucked off his jeans and climbed in next to Carlos, making sure the blankets were tucked in around the freckled boy. As soon as they were both settled, Carlos’s eyes slid shut and he began to snore softly. Jay smiled, running his thumb across the arm Carlos had draped across him.

Carlos was still hesitant to be vulnerable, even with the other Isle Kids, so this was a rare treat. Jay knew Carlos’s brain was (wrongly) telling him everyone was out to hurt him, but sometimes it stung when Carlos was so quick to refuse help. Even Mal had gotten better at admitting when something was bothering her, though it took a bit of coaxing (and tickling). Carlos was just…taking longer to accept they were in a safe place, Jay kept having to remind himself. He had tried so hard to keep his insomnia from Jay, even though they were literally rooming together. And he knew the whole being-forced-to-quit-tourney thing bothered Carlos a lot, but the freckled boy never breathed a word about it, even when his eyes flashed with jealousy whenever he saw Jay in his jersey. Carlos got so focused on maintaining a strong front, sometimes he forgot he didn’t have to close himself off entirely.

And Jay knew that the interview had to have undermined a lot, if not all, of the progress Carlos had made since joining Ben’s council. Carlos had been so confident, so open, lately. Jay knew it was because of the council. Part of him was seething with jealousy that Ben was getting to spend so much time with Carlos. He hated that their lives weren’t as intertwined as they once were. But Jay also saw how much good being on the council was doing Carlos. So he couldn’t hate Ben for taking Carlos away from him, even if he wanted to.

Carlos now had a purpose in life, one outside surviving. That was the most important outcome of all of this. If this damn interview took that away from Carlos, then there would be hell to pay.

Evie pushed open the door to the boy’s dorm softly, Mal creeping behind her. They hoped the boys were both sleeping, since Jay hadn’t answered any of the texts they had sent him.

Sure enough, both boys were snoring, wrapped around each other in Carlos’s bed.

“Awww,” Evie mouthed at Mal with a glint in her eyes. Mal got her meaning immediately and whipped out her phone to take a picture of the two for later blackmail as Evie set down a steaming tea pot next to the abandoned tray of food. Evie clucked at the lack of non-sugar Jay had gathered, but was pleased to see a sandwich half-eaten. At least Carlos wasn’t full of only candy. She then turned to lean her head against Mal’s shoulder and take in the two sleeping boys.

It was a cute sight. Carlos had created a puddle of drool on Jay’s shirt, and one of Jay’s hands was tangled in Carlos’s curls. The blanket was completely tangled between their two bodies, forming a human pretzel.

Evie glanced at Mal and nodded in response to the purple-haired girl’s question. Smirking, Mal leaned forward until her lips were almost touching Jay’s ear.

“Hey Jay,” Mal said at slightly louder than normal volume, ditching the whisper.

Jay sat up bolt right, knocking Carlos off his chest abruptly. Carlos stirred as he fell down onto an actual pillow. His eyes opened slowly, and he couldn’t keep a grin from spreading across his face as he woke up to his friends.

“Ah, man, Mal,” Jay groaned, running a hand through his disheveled hair, and using the other to shove Mal away from him. “Don’t do that!”

“You were snoring,” Mal shrugged, still smirking. Evie was hiding a laugh behind her hand, but her eyes gave her away.

“E, you just let her do that?” Jay whined. Then he stopped and looked down at his shirt. “Why am I all wet?”

The girls giggled as Carlos sheepishly raised a hand.

“I was…drooling,” Carlos explained groggily, sitting up and trying to untangle himself from Jay. He didn’t get very far before Jay caught him in his arms and began to wrestle, hands reaching for Carlos’s most ticklish places.

“Jay!” Carlos yelped as Jay found his mark.

Carlos couldn’t help but laugh, and then Jay was laughing, then Evie and Mal. Finally, Jay relented, and the boys got out of bed.

“Oh, Carlos, we got you some tea, for your throat!” Evie went to the tea pot and poured out a cup of tea. “It’s that stuff Audrey’s always going on about.”

“So if it doesn’t help, we’ll know who to blame,” Mal chipped in.

“You really went to see Audrey, to get me some tea?” Carlos asked, surprised.

Carlos carefully took the cup from Evie and blew on the hot liquid. It smelled nice, like flowers. Tea wasn’t something any of them would normally seek out, though Auradon was very, very into the beverage. Half of their social activities revolved around tea and the tiny little sweets that went with it.

Mal shrugged easily.

“Anything for you, C,” she said, picking up a strawberry from the tray of food and biting into it.

Blushing, Carlos gave the tea a small sip. It was…good, at least as good as hot water that had leaves soaked in it could be. He swallowed and was caught off guard. His throat had been raw from all the talking, to the point where swallowing his spit hurt. But the second the tea touched his throat, the pain was gone. He took another sip eagerly.

The other three were watching, trying not to seem too interested.

“It’s…yeah. Audrey was right to brag about this,” Carlos finally announced after he drained the cup. He held it out for Evie to pour more into.

“Ugh, we can’t tell her that,” Mal huffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “But I am glad you’re feeling better, Pup.”

Carlos nodded, accepting the second cup from Evie gratefully. They all sat around the table, Jay and Mal picking at the food as Evie also helped herself to a cup of Audrey’s tea.

“So,” Evie said gently. “How was the interview?”

They all looked to Carlos expectantly. Though his nap had made him physically feel better, his anxiety was still sky-high.

“Well,” Carlos said slowly, trying to decide where to even begin. “It was okay, I guess. It took two hours.”

Both Mal and Jay snarled at that. The notice Ben had received had promised it would take an hour at most. Yet another false promise from Auradon.

“And,” Carlos looked down into the tea cup so he didn’t have to see anyone’s concerned glances as he told them the next part. “Anita Radcliffe was on the panel.”

“Anita…” Evie said slowly. “Like. Anita, the one who Cruella worked with until…Owner of the dalmatians, Anita?”

Carlos nodded, still looking down. But that didn’t stop him from hearing the sharp intake of breath from the people around him.

“Why the hell was she there?” Mal demanded, her voice laced with steel.

“That’s completely unfair,” Jay immediately followed.

“She was there…she said it was because she was close with my mother,” Carlos said weakly.

“Close?” Evie echoed.

Carlos glanced at Evie, who gave him a concerned eyebrow raise. She knew there was more that he wasn’t saying.

“Close…like I think they might have…been involved. Romantically,” Carlos muttered.

“What?” the other three chorused in shock. 

“I found this scrapbook, my mother hid it…it was all her old designs, and pamphlets from her shows and stuff. And pictures. Most of them were of her and Anita…and they looked. Like they were in love.”

Jay let out a low whistle.

“That kind of…explains why your mom went off the deep end,” Jay said. He held up his hands as Evie glared at him. “I’m not saying that excuses any of the shit she did to you, or trying to skin puppies or anything. It just. The story makes more sense now.”

Carlos nodded in agreement.

“The puppies were just the last straw,” he said, fiddling with the cup. “Anita getting married to Roger must have…broke my mother’s heart.”

“Oh, Evil,” Evie said, hand on her own heart.

“She’s still batshit,” Mal scowled.

Carlos nodded again.

“And…she was there? At the interview? Evil,” Jay said.

“Did they…ask you about your mom?” Evie asked carefully.

“Yeah,” Carlos said sourly. “Not something they could really avoid.”

Evie placed a hand on Carlos’s shoulder, rubbing her thumb across his collar bone comfortingly.

“You did exactly what you needed to,” she said confidently. “Whatever answers you gave them, whatever they were actually after. That doesn’t change that you did what you needed to. In that interview, and… on the Isle.”

Carlos reached up and clasped Evie’s hand tightly. That was another thing that had been bugging him.

They had asked about the Isle. It was all for survival, all the things he had done there. All the stealing and fighting and hurting other people. Survival. Not that anyone on the panel would truly understand that. So the Isle questions were answered in those half-truths Carlos hated, because he hated trying to hide part of himself. It’s not like he was proud of his life on the Isle, far from it. But that’s how he got to where he was, in a place where he could do more than just survive.

Evie squeezed his hand back. She knew what he was feeling. Maybe even more than Mal and Jay, because they were still the same here, at the core. Yes, Mal knew the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ now, and knew which fights were worth fighting, but she was still protective and determined, still snarky and always one step ahead of everyone. She was still trying to balance Mal from the Isle and Mal from Auradon. Yes, Jay was a team player and actually did his school work regularly and didn’t flirt just to steal from people, but he was still head strong and determined to prove his worth, still buried his feelings under a layer of humor.

Carlos remembered what Evie had said at that tourney game a few weeks ago… that it all comes back to agency. Having the freedom to make their own choices. Evie had traded out one mask for another, Carlos began to realize as he tracked their interactions over the past few months. She had gone from living under her mother’s scrutiny to Auradon’s. And even if Auradon was kinder with their criticism, there were still expectations Evie was striving to meet. Even if Evie loved every part of Auradon, she was still a kid from the Isle. Like he was. Like they all were.

Mal let out a loud huff, bringing Carlos back to the present moment.

“You still here, Pup?” Jay asked, looking with concern at Carlos.

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry just, zoned out,” Carlos forced a tight smile.

“Hmmm…well, I was asking you,” Mal said, examining her nails, “If you knew when the panel from hell would make their decision.”

“I wish I knew,” Carlos admitted. “All they said was that they got enough info to make a decision.”

“Evil, I hope so, after two hours,” Evie sniped.

“One of them wanted me to stay longer,” Carlos laughed, though it was laced with malice.

“Who?” Jay demanded, fist clenched.

“A lawyer,” Carlos said, giving Evie a glance. “Just like Evie predicted. There was a lawyer, and Doug’s uncle, Doc. And the head of Auradon Psych Board. Oh, and get this. The last person was a knight.”

“Like. A knight, knight? Swords and horses and shit?” Mal echoed disbelievingly.

“From Camelot and everything,” Carlos confirmed.

“Wow,” Mal said, leaning back in her chair. “They really brought out all the stops for you.”

Carlos shrugged nonchalantly, though he let Mal’s subtle compliment warm him. Praise from Mal was special, because she meant it. It did mean something that Auradon was willing to see if he was ‘worth’ being on Ben’s council. At least he hadn’t been denied outright.

“And now,” Evie said with a sigh. “We wait.”


End file.
